Pattern Theft!!

Edited — The offending website has finally been shut down! Thanks to everyone for your amazing support and due diligence in getting the word out there and contacting your designer friends! What an amazing crafty community we have and I’m so very thankful for each and every one of you!!!

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So it came to my attention this morning, via Jen who blogs at SewHooked, that Los Angeles Needleworks is swiping the free patterns from many sewing, quilting, crochet, embroidery and knitting designers and selling them on their website. Including several of my patterns.

Recognize my gnomes and hedgehog?

Please do not buy from this website!! Support your hardworking indie pattern designers, and buy patterns directly from the designers.

I just can’t believe the sheer number of patterns this person is claiming to have designed herself! Here is her google+ profile , Her facebook,  andtwitter.Although judging by the terribly translated descriptions, she may not be an actual person, but maybe a front for an overseas jerk?

I’ve heard that her Etsy store and shop facebook page have been taken down, but as of 7:30pm PST the website is still up and adding new patterns.

My husband, rife with anger wrote the following letter to the domain and site hosting providers:

To: support@wildwestdomains.com, support@stablehost.com

Re: Copyright Violation – Losangelesneedlework.com

Hello,

It’s come to our attention that one of your customers is currently running a website under the URL of losangelesneedlework.com.  Through this site they are selling patterns for download that are being pulled from various other websites without the owners permission.

These patterns are being posted for sale WITHOUT PERMISSION, WITHOUT CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGNER, AND MOREOVER WITHOUT COMPENSATION.

Primary example I’ll refer to is the pattern designed by my wife Sonja Callaghan of Artisania.ca.

Here is the link to her original pattern “Gnomeling and Fancy Mushroom” that was posted up under copyright in 2008:

https://artisania.wordpress.com/free-patterns/

And here is the link for a “Gnome With Mushroom House Paper Piecing Pattern Quilt Block” currently up on the Los Angeles Needlework site:

http://www.losangelesneedlework.com/2013/sewing-patterns/paper-piecing-quilt-blocks/gnome-with-mushroom-house-paper-piecing-pattern-quilt-block

The primary issue at hand is that not only are they in effect STEALING the pattern outright (image & all) and then SELLING it on their site, when this has been available for FREE on the Artisania site for 5 YEARS.

Artisania is receiving no credit, payment or any type of compensation for this offering, and has never been contacted by, or granted permission to, the Los Angeles Needlework website to use the pattern. Here are two more listings of Sonja’s which are being sold by Los Angeles Needlework:

https://artisania.wordpress.com/free-patterns/

Gnomlette and Lil’ Hedgehog Patterns

The listing at the Los Angeles Needlework site:

http://www.losangelesneedlework.com/2013/sewing-patterns/paper-piecing-quilt-blocks/gnome-and-mushroom-paper-piecing-pattern-quilt-block

The listing at the Los Angeles Needlework site:

http://www.losangelesneedlework.com/2013/sewing-patterns/paper-piecing-quilt-blocks/lil-hedgehog-paper-piecing-pattern-quilt-block

This letter is official notification under Section 512(c) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and I seek the removal of the aforementioned infringing material from your servers. I request that you immediately notify the infringer of this notice and inform them of their duty to remove the infringing material immediately, and notify them to cease any further posting of infringing material to your server in the future.

Please also be advised that law requires you, as a service provider, to remove or disable access to the infringing materials upon receiving this notice. Under US law a service provider, such as yourself, enjoys immunity from a copyright lawsuit provided that you act with deliberate speed to investigate and rectify ongoing copyright infringement. If service providers do not investigate and remove or disable the infringing material this immunity is lost. Therefore, in order for you to remain immune from a copyright infringement action you will need to investigate and ultimately remove or otherwise disable the infringing material from your servers with all due speed should the direct infringer, your client, not comply immediately.

I am providing this notice in good faith and with the reasonable belief that rights my company owns are being infringed. Under penalty of perjury I certify that the information contained in the notification is both true and accurate, and I have the authority to act on behalf of the owner of the copyright(s) involved.

Should you wish to discuss this with me please contact me directly.

Respectfully,

Vince Callaghan

artisania.ca

Please, if you recognize any of the patterns, please notify the designers so they can also take action against this blatant fraud.

If you’re a designer affected by this copyright infringement, start writing to paypal, the domain host website, and anyone else you can think of who can help stop this site.

Here is another designer who’s trying to do something about it.

Thanks for your help and support!

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