Avoid this company?

[Edward Henry]

I just saw a post recently on Facebook The Elite Scrollers warning that the www.scrollingonline.com copies and sell artist patterns with out permission. This is what was posted.

“Need to rant. I just received a small magazine from a company that copies a lot of patterns from other scroll saw designs. PLEASE STOP ORDERING  from this company. If you are in need of good patterns,  please visit Sue Sue Mey site at Scrollsawartist.com  or Keith Fenton at Sheila Landry designs.com
Please support these artist because they support us.”

 

Does anyone know if this this is true and if so how would an artist or pattern designer stop them from copying their works?

Edited June 27, 2018 by Edward Henry
Spelling

[Roberta Moreton]

I saw this too! I don’t know what to think!

[Scrappile]

They sure that site doesn't have permission to sell their stuff, and they get a cut or something.  That site has been around a long time, located in the US which has stiff copyright laws..... I hope the accusers are certain about it.

[spirithorse]

Hi, Edward,
Unless there is another web-site called scrollingonline.com instead of the scrolleronline.com from the photo of the magazine, 

I think the Elite scrollers group is incorrect.
I went to the scrolleronline.com site and looked for patterns that I would recognize.
In intarsia, the skew number includes initials and I can see patterns by BW which would be Bruce Worthington, CB which would be Carol Bishop
and her husband Homer if I am not mistaken, and another item number with the initials HV which I think was a gentleman named Havlijceck or some
similar spelling. With this type of identification, I am certain the designers are getting a percentage for each pattern sold and scrolleronline is getting their
percentage for the advertisements.
In the fretwork type patterns, there are patterns there by Jeff Zaffino JZ,, Mike Williams MW, Charles Dearing, CD so, I think the original posting should 
print a retraction.

I have no affiliation with scrolleronline but, I find it regrettable that anyone from Elite Scrollers should spread what I perceive to be rumors without
verifying their statements first.

God Bless! Spirithorse

[Edward Henry]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[meflick]

I don't know either.  However, both Sue Mey and Keith Fenton replied on that Facebook post seeming to "agree" that some of their work is being used or has been used previously without permission or compensation at some point.  It is possible that they have a working agreement with SOME of the artists but not all perhaps.  Only the actual artist(s) can verify for themselves if they are or are not.

[fredfret]

Pinterest has a lot of copyrighted material on it much for "other countries" with patterns readly available . I know that scroller has agreements ( talked with a couple a long time ago. JZ and MW)  with many of the designers and have/had some on staff. I take these accusations with a grain of salt as most of the patterns are attributed to the designer and if you ask who designed the pattern they will tell you. I don't work for or know anyone that does so I can't really validate but my gut feeling is they are as up front as they can be.

Fredfret

[Rockytime]

I got my catalog a couple of days ago. I have also received the catalog in the past. I would be hesitant to publish accusations without some verification. I would also take the Facebook group with a grain of salt. 

[Dan]

If you read it on the internet it must be true! 

[Edward Henry]

I have had a private message from one designer  and since they reached out privately I will not post their name here but they wrote me the following stating

“Hi, Mr. Henry.  I saw your question on Elite scrollers regarding that magazine. I was a former contributor for over 15 yrs. They altered my own patterns and sold them with only partial instructions (to save paper, they said - after promising me they would not alter them in any way) When I tried to remove my products from their distribution, they threatened to sue me and said that they would just go to my site and copy what I made, with small changes and sell them as their own. They have been doing that ever since. They threatened to sue me again when I wanted them to immediately stop selling my patterns, telling me "we will take them down when we feel like it'. and kept my designs for many more months. Who knows if their actual sales equaled what they compensated us for?   That is the main reason I don't design scroll saw patterns anymore. It is difficult to put your heart into designing when someone comes along and just scoops them up form you without a care. We don't have money to sue them or pursue things. They know that. This is why I keep my thoughts on it private.  It is not good for me to deal with this company”.  

So I am back to confused. But when possible will only buy directly from designers just to be safe.

Edited June 30, 2018 by Edward Henry

[meflick]

Thanks for sharing.  Like you, I do try to buy directly from the pattern designer if at all possible because that way, all of the money goes to them without a middleman. That's why I think its important to share the designer's name and a link to the pattern whenever possible when sharing so others can easily locate the pattern. This is a big help to the pattern maker as well. Without the pattern makers, many of us would be lost - at least I would be.