Really Discouraged…

Well the new year began with a blast- a zest- a powerful surge of ideas and creativity. Until the other day.

I started receiving emails about  people on a website/forum posting my patters. This normally does not bother me. I mean it does, but I have been doing it so long it kind of goes with the territory- that it will happen and that I just need to follow the steps to fix it. Usually that entails contacting the person. Sometimes if that doesn’t work, contacting the forum owner. And then beyond that if no affect, then just working up the chain to where the website/forum is hosted etc. Most often, it is someone who does not realize he/she is doing wrong. So many are still ignorant when it comes to copyright issues and such.

Then why am I so down?

This one is different. It *cannot* be taken down. This particular website is out of the country, in multiple languages, free for the masses to register and begin sharing. This is so devastating.  I have always just followed my little steps when I find my patterns around the internet. But this time, I am handcuffed. I am stuck. I researched this site a little more, and it seems it has been up since at least 2009. That is 4 years. I found many designers around the internet complaining about this website, trying all means to get it taken down. I feel really discouraged that in the last 4 years, nobody has been successful.

When I did a search for my name- “Crochet Garden,” I came up with 21 hits. All were posted by the same person, in December. However, there was a few other patterns that did not come up in the search, and posted by others. There is no way for me to contact these people. I cannot send a message or do anything without gaining points, per se, to get benefits, without sharing.

With such a site, it is only a matter of time before everyone knows about this place. It will be the first place someone stops to get their patterns, to see if it is available. Not Ravelry, not Annie’s Attic, etc. Why purchase it when you can get it for free?

Of course, I know many support indie designers, but there is not enough of you out there to support us, unfortunately.

Maybe it is the shock that there is nothing I can do. Is there anything I can do? I do not know. The last couple of days I have had to push myself to look at my designs in progress and work on them. I look at them and think, wow, I spent a month on this. Put up the pattern for sale, and tomorrow, I could see this pattern available for free on this particular website, available to all.

What is worse, now, is that it has been posted on facebook, and the link is spreading like wildfire. I have had countless of emails coming in, alerting to me that my patterns are up there. This morning I wake up and open my email, countless more emails about this website. So you can imagine.

All I can do is ask, if the person or the person who knows of the person posting my patterns, I am humbly asking if they can please take them down.

It would be so different if there was something I could do. Report it, send messages, etc. I see 4 years of people before me doing all that and more, and it has been futile. I am just really discouraged right now.

17 thoughts on “Really Discouraged…”

  1. I mentioned your story about the site with free downloads to my husband at lunch today. He suggested sending the information to Google, they are known to cut such sites off from search engines.

    I found your site today because I’d asked on a Ravelry forum if anyone knew how to use post stitches to make a reversible fabric with them, and someone mentioned you. wow, your designs are gorgeous.

    I hope you get some justice, and feel like designing again.

  2. dear Lisa I am sorry you are down. I can understand why. I hope you will continue to design I am a big fan! But would understand your point if you don’t want to people and life can pull you down now and then. I also hope you find hope in this world not all humans a crappy!

    Nickie

  3. Hello, Lisa! All this very bad phenomenon for authors! Whether I don’t know probably it to overcome. Fully, most likely it is impossible. But I wish you success, irrespective of this situation. At you remarkable, very beautiful models!

  4. Hi Lisa, I am presently working on your Dahlia Shawl which I found in Interweave Spring 2011. Please DO NOT continue discouraged. You have such vision and beauty in your
    creations!
    Don’t let the negatives get you down.
    Your time is way too precious to waste, you can use it to create more magic!
    Your true fans will appreciate that.
    Thanks and keep going.
    Jakki

  5. Lisa, I for one promise I’ll never go there.

    I am getting so much joy out of the patterns I’ve bought from you. Just finished a neckwarmer in the pattern of the Elk Mountain scarf and am about to block it. Your patterns are a step beyond most and no one does cables better.

    I hope the pattern theft site gets shut down, or already has been! In the meantime, as soon as my next freelance check comes in, I’m buying more of your patterns.

  6. Wow, some people……I’m so sorry they have to behave like that and take advantage of others. As a fellow crocheter, I ADORE your patterns! I have made your …..forget the name, I call it the Daisy shawl…..had it on display after taking a Best in Show at our county fair over all textile arts….and it was stolen. I’m a hand spinner and I hand spun a Shetland lamb fleece, keeping the variegated color of the lamb in the yarn and crocheted your Dahlia shawl. Took a Best In Show at a “make it with Shetland” show in the crochet category. IF you’d like to see your shawl made with LACE HAND SPUN SHETLAND LAMB, I’d love to send you the pic…..but don’t have your email Now, to look at and purchase some more lovely patterns :-) Please, don’t let those people discourage you, people like me depend on you. Have to figure something out…how to get around those thieves. Take care, chin up!

  7. Hello sorry about your issues I know how you feel. If your patterns are copyrighted then there are goverment agencies that can help. I would start with the IRS or treasury dept. because they want there share of your sales. I would start there if they themself can’t help you then that is what your congressmen is for. Good luck

  8. I’m not a designer ~however ,if I like a pattern I will purchase a book,magazine,download or whatever I can out of respect for the designer. When I see someone publish or copy another persons work it just Erks me terribly. I will even go so far as to politely remark to that person how familiar the work looks. If its of any comfort we are paying attention. I hope your year gets better and you continue to bring us such beautifully creative pieces.

  9. Hello Nanakimmie :)

    I am so sorry for the delay in responding. I was really in a slump there for a while. I finally decided to stop going to that website since there is absolutely nothing I can do. I realized unfortunately it is going to happen. I think what just got me this time was that I was completely helpless in that there was nothing I could do at all. Maybe one day that will change. For right now, I am going to just keep designing ) All of you more than make up for that awful place.

  10. I will definitely check into that. So far everything I have been told that since it is another country, there is nothing that can be done (though a lot of that too has to do with the country itself). But I am going to continue to research it, and check into any government agencies, and see, cause you never know. In the meantime though I am going to stay away from that website.

  11. Ripplestitchkin, Thank you so much for the kind words. I am so sorry for not writing sooner, I kind of shut myself out for a while. I am SO glad you love my cables!!! I love em so much and well now that I am starting to design fall stuff- you guessed it cables non stop!! :)

  12. Oh Jakki, Thank you. I am really glad you are loving the Dahlia!!! I was really worried about that shawl. I loved it but at the same time, I worried would other people like it. And you are so right, it is true fans who appreciate!! I will keep on making magic :) It is what I love to do. I really just need to not go to that site anymore!!

  13. Oksana, you are so right!! I really do need to just get over it, as it happens to all authors. I need to just figure out how to deal with it and continue on.

  14. Hi Nickie :) I definitely plan to continue to design. That was just one big slump, and hopefully I do not have anymore :) And you are SO right.. not all humans are crappy!! For some reasons the bad ones just irk me for a while ><

  15. Hello Christine! I am so sorry for the delay in responding to you (bad me). I was in such a slump there for a bit. That is REALLY interesting about bringing that up to google!! I love that idea and I am going to try that!! Thank you so much too for the kind words about my cables :) I am hoping by end of summer to get a full tutorial on my cables, and how to do my reverse cables!!

  16. I know exactly how you feel Lisa, I’m heartbroken too with what is happening everyday on social networking sites and this particular site you are referring to, with FB it’s the private groups, I cannot see the need for secret groups if you are not doing anything wrong can you. I feel so sad when I have worked so hard to build my collection and then someone just steals them from me. It will go full circle in the end, all the designers will have been pushed out of business and no new designs will be written. Keep your chin up your work is beautiful.

  17. Oh I know what you mean Heather. Between that, and then new designers taking patterns as their own, and just changing a few bits here and there, it is so discouraging! I just keep telling myself, I just need to stay strong, and somehow make myself and my work come out stronger than ever. It is such a hostile environment being a crochet designer!

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