tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post5462776610293107662..comments2024-03-15T09:16:01.794+00:00Comments on The Eternal Maker Crafts: Spotting the difference: on copying in fabric design.eternal makerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02320512600767787903noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-88132436914935836552015-07-23T18:55:11.392+01:002015-07-23T18:55:11.392+01:00I had no idea there was a trade in copied designs,...I had no idea there was a trade in copied designs, though I should have guessed it since everything else gets copied.<br />I will keep my eyes peeled and tread carefully when buying on EBay too.<br />Thanks for the heads upliniecathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15643986273499722414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-64160584955312200342015-07-23T17:04:00.007+01:002015-07-23T17:04:00.007+01:00Hi. Thank you so much for making this stand. I a...Hi. Thank you so much for making this stand. I am a very small seller of quality 100% cotton like the ones you sell. I am also a designer. Im furious with the industry for not stamping on this quickly. I have shared this with facebook groups and anywhere else I can think off, far & wide. Huge support, lets get rid of the crap fabric.SHELAGH FOLGATEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00549554397301619415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-35717613600020226322015-07-22T21:34:47.224+01:002015-07-22T21:34:47.224+01:00Some of the textile factories in Africa are now on...Some of the textile factories in Africa are now on 3 day week and have sacked thousands of workers because within 3 weeks of a new design coming out, it is copied in China and smuggled into the African countries to be sold at a much lower price. Sometimes shoddy and sometimes mixed with nylon. Everyone is suffering this underhand business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-46826614568450893182015-07-22T17:57:22.970+01:002015-07-22T17:57:22.970+01:00I work for a manufacturer/wholesale company in the...I work for a manufacturer/wholesale company in the U.S. We have about 300 prints that we design in house. We also sell close outs from Robert Kaufman, Michael Miller, Riley Blake, etc. Often one print comes in several different colors. My advice would be to compare selvages, and the bolt board labels. We ship worldwide and have awesome prices. www.marshalldrygoodswholesale.com Matt Montaguenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-24916733172549046172015-07-22T17:39:57.176+01:002015-07-22T17:39:57.176+01:00yeah, that's blatant thievery. I'm glad yo...yeah, that's blatant thievery. I'm glad you contacted the big companies - seems like they're the only ones to do something about it officially. Poor designers can't get a break.Tonya Ricuccihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10778059489713831067noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-28359282097184038692015-06-17T12:08:24.438+01:002015-06-17T12:08:24.438+01:00Thank you for putting together this article. Copyi...Thank you for putting together this article. Copying artists' work is becoming a very big problem nowadays. A lot of people aren't even aware of just how much hard work goes into each design but once you find this out you can understand why the price is higher too. I'll share the link on my Facebook Page.Gosiahttp://mycolourfultexture.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-85837502802475344752015-02-25T07:01:36.990+00:002015-02-25T07:01:36.990+00:00Wir sind eine Kreativwirtschaft. Wir sind eine Gru...Wir sind eine Kreativwirtschaft. Wir sind eine Gruppe von Entscheidungsträgern, Macher und Mutmacher. Wir sollten, einen Messestand über die Bedeutung von Kreativität und sollte die Unterstützung der Menschen, die versuchen, ein Leben aus ihm zu machen. Mehr als jede andere Branche, sollten wir das verstehen.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fifa-munzen.de/FIFA-15-Coins" rel="nofollow">FIFA 15 Münzen kaufen</a><br><br /><a href="http://www.fifa-munzen.de/FIFA-15-Coins" rel="nofollow">Billig FIFA 15 Münzen</a><br>fifa-munzenhttp://www.fifa-munzen.de/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-11190919922215625752014-11-19T18:24:40.215+00:002014-11-19T18:24:40.215+00:00This is an excellent article. Well researched, wel...This is an excellent article. Well researched, well documented and factually stated. Thanks for sticking your neck out with it, and for your honesty. I've seen some knock-offs in stores but never complained to the store owner. I think I will now. <br />Also, in response to one of the comments above: there are definitely "designers" on Spoonflower that rip off designs. But, interestingly, it works both ways. I recently walked into a store and saw a complete knock-off of one of my Spoonflower designs. And it wasn't copied in China but "designed" by a US designer (who is also on Spoonflower) and printed by a US fabric company. Mine had been entered into a Spoonflower contest (so viewed by other Spoonflower designers) a few years prior to the knock-off hitting the shelves. I never contacted the fabric company to complain, as I try not to put negativity "out there", but reading this article makes me think I really should. Thanks!Berenehttp://www.happysewlucky.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-13588640041468637372014-11-18T10:00:44.417+00:002014-11-18T10:00:44.417+00:00As far as I know its illegal to sell counterfeit g...As far as I know its illegal to sell counterfeit goods in the UK and Trading Standards are hot on the topic but I'm not sure if this falls into the counterfeit area as the fabric isn't being branded to be something its not. Pity in some ways because importers would be prevented from bringing it in. Might be worth raising the issue with Trading Standards though to see if anything can be done. <br /><br />Just a thought and I've no idea if this actually happens but could an original design be 'sold on' when its no longer being printed by the original manufacturer .. thereby making the copy prints legit? Traceyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05509492213836220873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-85841220724600417812014-11-18T00:18:48.328+00:002014-11-18T00:18:48.328+00:00Good for you, at least someone is making a point. ...Good for you, at least someone is making a point. As a customer, I would never buy a copy if I knew it was. Touching a fabric is one way of telling the quality, but not as easy to do as more & more sales are through the internet. Let's hope this terrible practice can be stopped.Crafts @ Homehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16159786508502458007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-12113654132707465412014-11-17T17:25:45.095+00:002014-11-17T17:25:45.095+00:00Thank you - I was a little afraid that I was imagi...Thank you - I was a little afraid that I was imagining things for awhile. Ultimately, counterfeits undermine the creative process. I don't want to support that which (in the US) might be a federal crime. Jen Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09168401135498974644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-56003289913292701482014-11-17T14:24:58.764+00:002014-11-17T14:24:58.764+00:00I'm glad you wrote about this, I've come a...I'm glad you wrote about this, I've come across several of these copies that you've shown and not actually known the lines well enough to tell if it's a "real" print or a copy.pennydoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09425898433355516938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-21095567286634988562014-11-17T14:15:43.067+00:002014-11-17T14:15:43.067+00:00my husband owns a manufacturing company and has to...my husband owns a manufacturing company and has to patent everything he does because the Chinese will copy everything. It's gets weary trying to bust those that buy the counterfeit products. In one case, a BIG discount store used to buy from us and then quit. We found out that they started to buy from the Chinese factory. Fortunately the patent protected him and he won. But it was only because he discovered it. Who knows how many others do the same thing and haven't been caught. They are just so unscrupulous! At the trade shows when they see the Chinese walking down the aisle, they assign someone to stand with them so they don't take pictures to go home and copy. So it's EVERYTHING they copy and leave the original design person out. It's so sad. Passionate Quilterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15280625610653416523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-72673972182122414072014-11-17T00:39:08.668+00:002014-11-17T00:39:08.668+00:00Whatever we sold at holiday bazaars was quickly co...Whatever we sold at holiday bazaars was quickly copied and produced from China in less than 12 months. It's that quick of a 'steal'. I'd see the "made in china" copy in catalogs the next year.<br />Love your thoughts - it ultimately resides in the end user to buy responsibly. Which means doing your homework when sourcing supplies.kathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13468763091074811797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-26061753739362051052014-11-16T18:24:43.074+00:002014-11-16T18:24:43.074+00:00Bravo!! For making a business decision without sac...Bravo!! For making a business decision without sacrificing ethics and morals. And for speaking out boldly about it. Realistically, this sort of knock-off will continue to dog designers, in all fields. The internet has made it all too easy for unscrupulous (or desperate?) people to rip others off. We probably can't change that. But as consumers, we can use common sense when making purchases - if prices seem too good to be true, then someone is getting ripped off somewhere, somehow. And as business people, we can continue to make ethical choices, courageous choices, and have the trust and respect of our customers (even if a small minority go bargain hunting elsewhere).Dee Bamfordhttp://www.poshyarn.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-5798500872888047612014-11-16T17:38:22.463+00:002014-11-16T17:38:22.463+00:00I am shocked by the scale of it. I have put a link...I am shocked by the scale of it. I have put a link to your post on my blog.Radkahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04407639057505104281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-12802408573359368052014-11-16T16:48:09.163+00:002014-11-16T16:48:09.163+00:00I agree with you. They shouldn't be doing that...I agree with you. They shouldn't be doing that. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18428823565396439766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-73631110773657708792014-11-16T13:41:18.782+00:002014-11-16T13:41:18.782+00:00It's terrible that I wouldn't know if I...It's terrible that I wouldn't know if I'm buying a copy or not :/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-72795174198693646762014-11-16T13:33:07.106+00:002014-11-16T13:33:07.106+00:00I agree with you that the copies aren't being ...I agree with you that the copies aren't being commissioned, and are likely bought in innocence. But I do believe that once told, they shouldn't continue to make a profit from it. I have repeatedly told the wholesaler, and they continue to market and sell the fabric, and it is this part that I believe is wrong.eternal makerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02320512600767787903noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-79359864383919821352014-11-16T13:01:18.295+00:002014-11-16T13:01:18.295+00:00I don't believe the wholesale companies are in...I don't believe the wholesale companies are intentionally buying them as copies. They won't be sending cutting of the designers fabric and asking for it to be copied on a poplin quality. They are offered these designs and then buying them without realising they have already been produced by an American company. As I have said previously I have been guilty of that myself. What is important is that when you do come across a fabric that has been 'copied' you notify the supplier so they can relay this information back to their supplier in the Far East. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18428823565396439766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-55109896639315991372014-11-16T12:21:19.054+00:002014-11-16T12:21:19.054+00:00Great article. I hope that the police forces in th...Great article. I hope that the police forces in the countries that are hurt by the copies go to work. They bust counterfeit "name" bags, sunglasses, clothes, etc. It would be nice if they started joining forces on counterfeit fabrics, also. Magistra13 at yahoo dot com<br />Bethmagistrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11349672558449319503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-53025614809099809182014-11-16T11:57:27.586+00:002014-11-16T11:57:27.586+00:00Great article :)Great article :)Reene@Nellie's Nicetieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07612916379456955078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-27563705849843577002014-11-16T11:45:12.300+00:002014-11-16T11:45:12.300+00:00Thanks for this! I have come across prints that I ...Thanks for this! I have come across prints that I assumed were copies of designer fabrics (e.g. the metro market), and decided not to buy them - but as someone else has mentioned here already, buying and using designer fabrics makes handmade items more expensive - yet ultimately also better quality! Let's hope your blog post will help our customers better understand our pricing now... Will share it on my fb site!kurkuma londonhttp://www.kurkuma-london.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-49355073067463733682014-11-16T10:57:48.847+00:002014-11-16T10:57:48.847+00:00well said...I am always suspicious of cheaper fabr...well said...I am always suspicious of cheaper fabrics. I have posted a link to this post on my FB page Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2725287561806951502.post-12613948172630362912014-11-16T09:03:37.487+00:002014-11-16T09:03:37.487+00:00Thanks for clarifying something that has been baff...Thanks for clarifying something that has been baffling me for a while - I recognised a few of the copies and when I see something familiar priced too low it sends alarm bells ringing! I'd much rather purchase fabric from a place that makes a point of not stocking copies! Louise Ambrosihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06213385776672331613noreply@blogger.com