ATTN ALL DESIGNERS & PATTERN PURCHASERS | Pattern Bounty Hunters!

[Crochet Garden]

In this day and age, we all know about piracy, and unauthorized distribution of intellectual propertry and the like. Mods: I apologize if this is put in the wrong place- go ahead and move it to its proper forum.

 

Note: This thread has nothing to do with copyright laws etc and is against the Cville TOS to discuss such things here.

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I have devised something to hopefully thwart this in distribution of my patterns.

 

I have made a page on my site entitled: Crochet Garden Bounty Hunters.

 

http://www.crochetgarden.com/bountyhunters.html

 

Basically, it is a reward I offer for any information (even anonymously) to those giving information regarding distribution my patterns.

 

So many of us designers work very hard on our patterns, some of doing this ont he side, some of us doing this as a full time job hoping to really make something out of it.

 

So far, my idea has worked. But now, after thinking about it... I am thinking of creating a band of bounty hunters. Pattern distribution is not only unfair to use designers, it is unfair to those who legitimately purchase a pattern.

 

I am not sure how this will work, as this idea just popped into my brain.. but this is where you- customers and designers come in....

 

Perhaps I could devise a page for all designers to list their website, and thus then their reward, or compensation and where to direct information of pattern distribution at. I was even thinking of offering a reward as well for any reports of information regarding other designers' patterns as well as my own- we must be at each other's sides when it comes to this!

 

I haven't thought of any cons to this idea and so far it has had nothing but benefits for me.

 

What are all your thoughts? you as a designer would this be something you would be interested in doing collectively? You, as a customer- what are your thoughts on this? Do you think this would help?

 

Does anyone have any ideas on the best way to execute this?

 

EDIT: If you wish, you can also email me lisa@crochetgarden.com regarding this, and if you are a designer, email me as well if you would like in on this.

 

I also should add, this would be independent of my site... I would just implement and host it. I seek no gain from it, only wanting to help all crafters.

[RachelG]

Very interesting idea, Lisa. I will have to read more...

[Crochet Garden]

Ok... well I have a few more ideas figured out...

 

1) It would be independent of my site (have its own domain)

 

2) The page would have categories of all types of crafts

(I decided why limit this to just crochet)

 

3) This would be free to everyone

 

4) Each crafter would submit a form which would include:

Site name, site web address, contact information and "reward" (this of course will be fine tuned after I get more feedback)

 

5) I would create a button or someone else could that each person could put on their website. (The name i think would be www.craftersunite.com) so the button would be "crafters unite"

 

6) Basically, each crafter would run their own "bounty hunter" program, set their own compensation etc. I would just be hosting the list.. Everyone would be independent of one another and I would put this disclaimer in...I would possibly also create a forum for designer where they could collaborate and expand on the ideas of this etc.

 

So... that is my basic skeleton idea of it so far...