I would like to tell you about the Beckett’s play we watched this weekend – the one I had to rush to right after sending the Ztampfever No. 31. But I’m troubled. My heart is heavy…
Two days ago I received several emails from fellow designers: several of my works have been illegally shared through a certain file sharing site. Yes, it has happened before in the past, but never this many and mostly were my free samplers. This time, it is my paid-for kits that are being illegally shared. Some of them are from my beloved The Great Expectations Collection too. It is a pregnancy and baby kit. Just think what kind of people these must be! Imagine… These shameless women (and mothers at that too) scrap about their pregnancy and children using stolen goods. Stolen from hardworking individuals like me. We designers are not big corporations who exploit their workers – or anything like that – whom some people might think deserved to be pirated. We work on our own from home, using our own creativity and skills to create our products to generate independent income to help paying rents and utility bills. And these thieves are stealing from us… It can’t be out of innocent ignorance either. I understand that some people might have unwittingly shared a few kits with their family and friends, perhaps because they don’t know the basics of copyright as it applies to digital files. I harbor no hard feeling towards these people. What I have found instead is that they have removed my Terms Of Use file included in each download folder so other people won’t be able to read it. And they uploaded the files to a file sharing site and share the links through illegal file sharing groups. This is not a generous sharing between genuine friends. This is a massive illegal sharing. This is not just a shameless act. This is intentional malice.
What breaks my heart even more is that… this must have been done by at least one of my own customers… My guts feeling told me that they are not my regular customers, though. Probably they got my kits for free or at huge discounted pricing through some Sale/Promotional Events or some random prizes given during Ztampf! 2nd Birthday Party (the Scavenger Hunt). Whoever they are, I hope they will receive their karma accordingly. Soon.
I love giving away Gift Certificates, Huge Discount Coupons and even Freebies. However, experience has taught me that these things often attract those pirates whose goal is to get scrap kits for free or at lowest possible cost, only to illegally share them later… They are so petty to take delight in easy stealing of other women’s hard work – I guess they have no self-respect nor dignity. I do feel sorry for them – they probably have nothing to be proud of or to be happy for that they have to derive pleasure and to win friends by sharing files illegally. By making Thieves of themselves. But I also feel so violated and angry. What a waste of my otherwise productive time.
Anyway. I have reported the illegal links to the file sharing company. Many other designers who are also the victim of this piracy have also submitted their reports. This statement below can be found on the front page of my shop. But let me put it up here as a reminder:
:: SAY NO TO PIRACY ::
Please remember that all items at Ztampf! including free samplers & awards are subject to my Terms of Use. They are for personal use only. Sharing/re-distributing them in any way is prohibited. Please contact me if you are unsure. Thank you for your compliance, it is sincerely appreciated. To learn more about what is considered to be Piracy and why sharing freebies is wrong please click HERE.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank my honest customers… Customers with integrity who don’t redistribute their purchase, who asked about (and purchased) the Professional Use Licenses, and who have been supportive to me and Ztampf! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your integrity and ongoing support. Without you, Ztampf! wouldn’t have lasted.
I encourage you to inform the designer(s) if you know that their products are being illegally shared/redistributed. Please help educate your friends who are new to digital scrapbooking about the basics of copyright too. All products are copyrighted by the original designer/artist. By purchasing and downloading a digital product, what they are getting is the personal license to use the product as outlined in the Terms Of Use file included in each downloaded folder. They do not in any way own the product in the sense of owning a physical product. Sharing and redistributing their purchase is a violation to the Terms Of Use and is totally prohibited. If you have any questions, please, do not hesitate to email me any time.
I’m sorry for the gloomy tone of my post this time. I just can’t help it. Thanks again for your support!
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