Oh Shana, I'm so sorry this has happened to you and other sellers. I will go so far as to say this:

I am a REPEAT customers because the quality of your work is amazing. Some people may be tacky enough to steal your patterns but no on can steal the quality of your work. I will always order from you. :thumbup:

Well you never have to worry about me! I never learned how to sew or anything close to it!
I can imagine it must be frustrating and heartbreaking for it to happen though!

I agree with this. I can't sew if my life depended on it. I'm so sorry you are going through this Shana! Stealing is not right!

But yeah, I really really want to order that gator harness from you, so please respond to my PM! :D

I think it's great that you posted this!
 

I don't see why anyone would be offended by it. Perhaps people are doing it without thinking of it the way you put it in your post.

If I were inclined to sew, which I'm not, and I balk at anything more complicated than sewing a button on, I probably would have done exactly what you're talking about. I don't think it would have occurred to me that it's not really polite or ethical, even though it's not illegal.

Hopefully, those out there who do make pet clothing and are doing this without a second thought will now think twice about it!

Shana - I couldn't agree with you more. I've created my own designs and strive very hard to make them as original as possible (with the one exception of the pattern that was given to me, which I have altered to make it my own). Although imitation is considered a form of flattery, in this instance many, many hours of hard work and trial and error have been stolen.

And, Jodi - you are so correct that you can spot your design/pattern immediately.

I know that all sewers will happen upon the same fabric from time to time, but it really bugs me when I feel like some others intentionally go out and buy that others have searched for. I have had requests to make something like another seller and I always turn the request down and steer the buyer to that seller. I appreciate that a customer wants to purchase from me, but I won't copy another's design and I won't specifically buy fabric that another member has already posted. I just feel it is the right way to do things.

And I totally agree that most of us completely do our own work (I do everything myself, including my website) and some of us even have multiple jobs!!!! And we still don't make much money!!!

Shana, thank you so very much for starting this thread I have the utmost respect for you and your work ethics and I agree with you 100%. And what about vendors who subtly promote their items as "hand made" when they actually outsource to factories - some outside the USA where work conditions are less than desirable.

I worked very hard to perfect my designs - it took years of hard work, an untold number of "throw-aways" and yards and yards of material to come up with the items that I make. It is my greatest hope that ALL of my YorkieTalk Family - who sews and sells - would take the time and effort to design and develop their own original lines. So that when a picture of the item is posted you can tell who made the item because it is an "original" and not a copycat.

I would like to clarify my comments above. There is absolutely nothing wrong with selling items which have been commercially manufactured, as long as the seller is up front and honest with their advertising. Leading people to believe or allowing people to continue believing that items were hand made by the seller when they were made in a factory is false advertising. Our YT members deserve better treatment than that.

I agree that stealing someone's handmade design is wrong and honestly very childish to "copy-cat" someone else; however, with regard to the statement above, there are many, many sellers on YT who sell things from "companies" that they order from, not all handmade, Shana being one of them. I'm not trying to pick her out...there are a lot...that's my point. But she started the thread, and I don't think that is what she was talking about...maybe I'm wrong though :confused:

Also, just to clarify, I'm not representing that items she or anyone else has for sale are from such "factories, outside the USA where work conditions are less than desirable"...I am just making the note that many sellers have things for sale not hand-made, and I see nothing wrong with that.

Last point, I have bought items from Shana, Cindy, Jodi, Jodie, Des, and many others on here and enjoyed each thoroughly :)

I readily agree with this.

Gotcha ;) :thumbup:

I completely agree. :thumbup:

I can just about sew a button on..:rolleyes::p

You are extremely hardworking and talented..and I can Imagine how frustrating this is..:thumbdown

By the way..when I get some ££££'s in my Paypal i'll be buying some goodies from you!;)

Very good post Shana. I do want to let you know that you do NOT have to pay for a copyright to assure your designs are YOURS. I am in the business of designing the patterns to and handmaking teddy bears. I do know that once your finished product is offered for sale, that in itself makes that design automatically copyrighted to you and if someone copies it and attempts to sell it, it is an infringement and can be prosecuted. We see it in the teddy bear world all the time. Sewing dog clothing is, as you said, more limiting in the design aspect and I can see where many different people could independently create the same pattern. But I surely would question the same pattern along with the same fabric. Also, not sure if you knew this little tidbit, but did you know that it is NOT illegal to take someone's product apart, copy it and create their own from it?? It is true.. it is not illegal... UNLESS they offer it for sale! Using it to copy and create something for their personal use or to give away as a gift is NOT illegal. Using it to sell is illegal! Crazy but true. Us teddy bear artists have seen this happen over and over and there are cases that were prosecuted with positive results.

i totally agree on this and I have seen the same thing.

I couldnt sew if my life depended on it. But what cindy says is soo true!!

[QUOTE=LuvMyPrinceKobi;2206100]I agree that stealing someone's handmade design is wrong and honestly very childish to "copy-cat" someone else; however, with regard to the statement above, there are many, many sellers on YT who sell things from "companies" that they order from, not all handmade, Shana being one of them. I'm not trying to pick her out...there are a lot...that's my point. But she started the thread, and I don't think that is what she was talking about...maybe I'm wrong though :confused:

Also, just to clarify, I'm not representing that items she or anyone else has for sale are from such "factories, outside the USA where work conditions are less than desirable"...I am just making the note that many sellers have things for sale not hand-made, and I see nothing wrong with that.

Last point, I have bought items from Shana, Cindy, Jodi, Jodie, Des, and many others on here and enjoyed each thoroughly :)[/QUOTE


Yes but shana doesnt claim that those items are handmade. She does do some selling of items like monkey daze items or others which we know of and never once has she said those items she made. She will clarify which item is her design and which is not.

but there is so of what cindy was saying going on. Sellers posting pics on here of items they say are their designs and that they handmake but are really not hand made by them but by factories.