The Final Blow to Handmade!

[#1]

I do believe these congress / government people absolutely DO NOT care how many people are put out of business or loose their jobs. Soon there will be nothing produced in the USA???

First the CPSIA NOW this.

Design Piracy Prohibition Act
Read article here http://bit.ly/1186IQ

[Former_Member]

we dont have this insanity in australia

[Former_Member]

Don't blame the government---they're merely bowing to the desires of wealthy constituents---this time its the dear old CFDA---with the chief person behind the bill being lovely Ms. Diane Von Furstenberg---yes the woman who most recently made fashion news due to some piracy of her own. One of her spring designs from a past season (Spring 2007 or 2008) turned out to be an almost literal revamp of an item from an indie designer.

She recieved quite a bit of unfavorable attention from it especially given that everyone in the fashion industry knew that this bill was her baby. If the act is allowed to pass, she wouldn't have to worry about such unpleasant episodes---her multimillion dollar company would simply trademark the design first and then sue the smaller company for "copying" them ---even though the smaller company had the design first!!! Raise hell everyone. Raise hell.

[BebeChicBoutique]

read it, signed it... just makes me ill, mad, worried, outraged. How can this happen in America?

[Former_Member]

marking to read later

[Former_Member]

I said this on the other thread that one could make the same argument with current copyright law, which protects every artist whether visual, musical, or literary against piracy of their work. And it doesn't seem to me that this has hurt the smaller artists significantly. In fact I have heard more cases of smaller artists prevailing over larger than the other way around. I mean maybe that is the only stuff that makes the art news. But you would think it would be the other way around, given that there are more struggling artists than the other, who would be outraged if their art was being pirated left and right and there was no legal justice for them. Just saying.

[Former_Member]

Can you say monopoly for the "big guys"

[Former_Member]

In terms of DVF, this is the second time I've heard it mentioned. Here is a quote from the Toronto Star:

"That's when the chintz hit the fan.

Von Furstenberg's response was swift. She fired the staff member accused of lifting the Mercy design and immediately initiated negotiations with the Canadian designers. "Everyone wanted this to settle quickly," Halchuk said.

"I am devastated," von Furstenberg told Fordham University law professor Susan Scafidi, who operates Counterfeit Chic, "but this can be a lesson for everyone."

"I will do what is necessary to do, and if indeed there was an infringement, I will compensate and will use this example to make sure this doesn't happen again – not just for me, but for everybody," the 62-year-old designer continued."

http://www.thestar.com/article/633410

[Former_Member]

Just wanted everyone to know that I signed the petition. I am soooo freakin' tired of big guys getting the upper hand and repeated "bail outs" :o( Ooooh this makes me so mad.

[Former_Member]

The other thread talks not about CPSIA (which this discussion is in the wrong section)...but about the "Design Piracy Act."

Please join and discuss it here:

http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6177968

[Former_Member]

Just a side thought.... we could always sale our wares on the black market. lol

[Former_Member]

And my point for posting the article was to show that even without a piracy act involved, DVF still sought to compensate the injured designer. So to say that the big desigers are doing this just to hurt the little guy and freely steal their ideas is unfounded, at least in using DVF as an example.

But I guess it is much more exciting to run around screaming conspiracy theories and such.

[Former_Member]

I just signed the petition. How ludicrous! Our congressmen should be focusing on more important things, especially with the current state of our economy.

[Former_Member]

Wow! This law is just another reason why it is important, not to over legislate.
The more power the govt. has, the more it will abuse it. This is also another wonderful
reason why government and big companies should not be in bed together.
A whole bunch of little guys like us, suffer.

[Former_Member]

IMO: ETSY is growing too big and giving too many people freedom to create businesses without being overseen by the government. It is one of the few markets that is not regulated, with the exception of the tech industry (computer chips, etc.) And we all know that they are the most innovative industry...just look at how quickly your brand new laptop becomes the slowest one on the market (2 years max). Anytime any company has to go to the govt for help in being protected, major red flags should go up.This is unfortunate.

[Former_Member]

I just signed it. Thanks for bringing it to our attention! Has anyone gone to the MSNBC or CNN twitter pages with this?

[Former_Member]

:( how very sad :( what a world....

[isgood]

hellome says:
And my point for posting the article was to show that even without a piracy act involved, DVF still sought to compensate the injured designer. So to say that the big desigers are doing this just to hurt the little guy and freely steal their ideas is unfounded, at least in using DVF as an example.

But I guess it is much more exciting to run around screaming conspiracy theories and such.
==========
Thanks for posting the article. I agree with you.

[Former_Member]

hellome says:
And my point for posting the article was to show that even without a piracy act involved, DVF still sought to compensate the injured designer. So to say that the big desigers are doing this just to hurt the little guy and freely steal their ideas is unfounded, at least in using DVF as an example.

But I guess it is much more exciting to run around screaming conspiracy theories and such.
________________________________________________________

DVF's camp only hastened to compensate the designers AFTER several fashion blogs and insider trade mags had presented the situation to the public---what else could they do at that point, there was serious egg on their faces---DVF's camp had to clean up their mess and everyone in P.R. knows that the public loooooves to forgive. Say you're sorry (more like you're sorry you were caught) and it's all good. Companies like DVF's hire professional folks to handle these types of mistakes so little guys will think exactly this: "well they said sorry, here's the link!"

[Former_Member]

Signed the petition; moving to the other thread.

[Former_Member]

Marking!

[MoniqueLula]

Personally, I've had to SUE people for knocking off my designs, so it is about time they create real legislation on this issue.

When someone copies your work, and undercuts your pricing to the SAME vendors, you'll feel differently...

[CuckooBoo]

I'm moving to Canada! CPSIA and now this?!!

[Former_Member]

I just signed the petition! You would think that designers would be flattered that we want to use there fabrics to create our items.

[CHenry]

Oh brother, I'm glad that I make jewelry !!!! You watch, We'll be next on the chopping block !!!LOL

[Former_Member]

This sounds a lot like the Orphaned Works bill regarding copyrighted artwork. Yucky.