Intermission From the Copyright Melodrama...

Still sitting and waiting. Tomorrow should bring more news. So in the meantime, a different topic.

Since I have been to India, I feel quite inspired by some of the jewelry I saw Indian women wear. They wear some amazing jewelry, just for every day, and especially for weddings. Just seeing what some of the women were wearing while shopping was breathtaking. They take a lot of pride in their jewelry.

So, I thought, why not take some ideas from the jewelry I saw. See what I might be able to come up with in seed beads instead of the gold and metals of the original.

Here are two pieces of Indian Jewelry.

I liked the design concept of the top one. A simple triangle with layered flowers on top. Or at least what looks like flowers to me. I made one of these elements. A base of larger seed beads, layered on top with Delicas and small flower beads. Once I made one, I didn't think that making 3 of these for a similar necklace was what I wanted to do. I never want to copy/imitate something exactly anyways, no matter how ancient the piece may be.

Then I saw the second piece. I liked the way the strap was made. To me it carries just a little of that Art Nouveau feel with the bottom portion curving down from the main strap. So I gave that idea a go.

So put the two together and below is what I got. I am not done yet. I still have the strap to finish in some fashion and I want to add some sort of fringe to the pendant.

It's a LOOONG Wait

When dealing with a copyright infringer (thief) such as I am, each day feels like forever. I become obsessed with checking emails for responses that never seem to come, or come with information that I wasn't quite looking for.

I got a response from Go Daddy within a few hours that they do not host wholesalebeaded.com as we thought. But I think we found the right Host. I put in my complaint on Thursday. I am still waiting for a response.

My complaint to the US Customs responded with information of another address to lodge a complaint.

Internet Crime does not respond, you just gotta check your complaint status.

I am still waiting to hear from the publisher who published my book.

Would you believe the infringer has 50 variations of my designs??

So it's sit and wait....try to be patient, and try not to let it all get to me. Meanwhile the idiots must feel like they won the battle since they have not heard from me in days.

On another not so happy note:

I have sad news for anyone who may have known Veon Schuntzel through her books. She passed away a couple years ago.

Marching Bravely Forward

Reporting from the Battlefield of Protecting-My-Copyrights. If you are just joining, the story started a few days ago. Catch up if you must.

In this continuing Copyright Melodrama that rivals a Greek tradgedy, I did get a response this morning (today was the deadline).

They asked me for my Copyright Registration on the designs. Which I do have.

WHAT!!??? Can't they see the book is published? Can't they see the designs are mine? Don't they know that the designs they are using are not their own? What the F!@# is F@#$%ing wrong with them!!

First impulse was to send it to them. Luckily it was not within arm's length, and I had to rush off to my day job.

Fester fester fester....how should I handle this???

Fester Fester Fester....some of you will understand this, many of you may not (the festering, that is).

Why do I have to prove to them that they stole from me as well as others? They should prove to me that they have the rights to use the designs (snowballs in hell stand more of a chance of growing to become glaciers)

Fester fester fester.

I am not being productive during my day job.

Finally after the fog of sour emotions cleared, so did my thinking. I need a plan of attack.
Here it goes:

Plan of attack #1 Contact Eagle's View Publishing who ALSO holds a copyright on the book itself (I have it on the designs). Status: AWAITING ANSWER

Plan of attack #2 List all of the earrings that they used to complain to Go Daddy. There were 45!  Plus since then I found (missed) 5 more.  Status: DONE

Plan of attack #3 Inform one designer who I know is also being used by them (still looking for Veon Schunzel. ANYONE know her whereabouts? MANY MANY of the designs they use are hers). I informed her. She has 6 designs that they were using. With a little persuasion, I enlisted her in my plan of attack 1 and 2. Status DONE

Plan of attack #4  Email my copyright attorney for advice. Have him send me paperwork for a retainer in the event I need it. Status: DONE  Got good advice, feeling well armed.


Awaiting further developments. And trying to maintain a sense of humor


Signing out from the Copyright Battlefield
your battered reporter/soldier

Gumshoes Investigative Work On the Perp...

A blog reader who is familiar with the area that my copyright infringer is operating out of in Herndon Virginia contacted me. This is what she says:

My rental is about 180 miles from where I recently moved to so I can’t just run on over there.  BUT, I just googled their address and it looks like they’re doing

their  business out of their townhouse.   I know that little community and it AIN’T zoned for business; so my uninformed guess is

they are doing internet stuff only.   If I’m up there in the foreseeable future and discover anything different, I’ll let you know. Hmmmm…..I went and looked up their

property assessment stuff; they are indeed running this thing out of their townhouse (funny cuz I notice on their website they include “Suite 101” which must be

the their basement; I guess the main floor would then be “Suite 201” and so on.   Anyway, the townhouse is definitely zoned Residential so no storefront.

This does not surprise me. Does anyone else live in the area? 

I bet the India address is that of their relatives who help orchestrate the bead sweatshops, or those women who are taken advantage of who bead in their own homes for pennies a day.

They have until tomorrow to respond. My next step will to try to complain to their web host and have them taken down until there is a resolution. Then there is always my high priced (but worthy) arts/copyright attorney.

I won't give up without a good fight!

The Continuing Copyright Horror

I am sure many of you are wondering what is going on with my story about the company stealing and mass producing my beaded earring designs.

Below is the communication thus far:

I have found your website  www.wholesalebeaded.com. It saddens me to see that you are using a few of my copyrighted earring designs. The dragon fly earring e17sb2 and 8 and the Tutankhamun E 18 SB 18 are from my book Earring Designs by Sig.

I have also noticed other designs copyrighted by other artists.

You do not have the license to mass produce my earring designs in any form. Just by changing the color does not change the copyright ownership. The design is still under my copyright.

If you wish to sell these earrings, you must license the designs or remove them to prevent legal action.

Please advise me of your intent.

Hi,

These are made in India. We do custom beadwork for our customers and many of the designs you see here came from our customers that we resell on our website with their permission.

If you are a designer, and, you think that these designs came from your book, we respect that; if this helps, we can give you credit by adding your name in the description.

Please let me know what you think about this. If you have any other thoughts that are beneficial to both, feel free to share.

Ruchi.

I have read on your website that the beadwork is made in India.

I have now an additional concern. You state “…many of the designs you see here came from our customers…” How are the designs supplied to you? And how do you supply these designs to your beaders? If the designs are photocopied, or transmitted in any way from my books to you, and you again reproduce the printed designs, both you and your customers have violated the copyrights I possess on my designs. I would like to know who the customers are who are sending you the designs so that I could have my attorney contact them as well.

Your offer of crediting my name to the beadwork using my designs does not compensate for the infringement your company is actively engaged in. I make my living selling my designs and from my own beadwork. Also with respect to the other designers patterns you are using that I recognize, to set precedence of allowing a mere “Credit” in the description is not only a disservice but disrespect to the designers and giving you free reign to continue to violate copyright laws.

Designer /authors such as myself create designs so that the average crafter can use them. They were NEVER intended for mass produced commercial work, particularly made in countries outside of the US or the author’s origin to be imported back into our home countries.

If you wish to use the designs in this manner, I may be open to a financial agreement set out per design, per year. I will not agree to you using ANY of my designs in ANY way until an agreement is met. I am insisting that you remove ALL of my designs in every color way until such time.

The designs I have noted  that are from my book Earring Designs By Sig Vol 1are:

Dragon fly earring e17sb2 and 8

Tutankhamun E 18 SB 18

Elephant E14 SB14 and 13

Yellow Thunderbird" is actually "tropical fish" in my book  E16, SB18

Polar Bear E12 SB 5, 21

Turtle  E8 SB27

Brown White 4 square (Desert Tapestry in my book)  E16 SB 28

Red Green Octopus, Orange Yellow Flower, Copper yellow flower (Poinsettia in my book Earring Designs By Sig #2)  E16 SB 34, #6SB 51 and 58

Brown Cat, Tutankhamun (Koala in my book) E8 SB3 and E 7 SB 11

Attached is the cover of Earring Designs by Sig and a copy of the Polar Bear Earring from your website which you can see is on the cover of the book.

Please advise of your intent to respect my copyright and come to an agreement of either removing the copyrighted material or coming to a financial agreement for the commercial use of my designs.

If I do not hear from you by Jan 25, 2012, I will take the appropriate legal remedies to protect my work.

ARRGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! Copyright Rears its UGLY UGLY UGLY Head

If you are not a designer who tries to make a living either entirely or in part, you might never fully understand the feeling of finding out someone is violating the copyright on your work. It is a sinking feeling at first. Then it feels like a knife driven in your gut. It makes you feel sick. Disheartened, totally violated and its enough to make you just say "to hell with it all" and make you quit. Why should a designer put all her/his hard work out to have someone profit from that effort by violating the copyright law and steal from us?

There are many things I accept. There are many things I turn a blind eye to. There are things about the copyright laws that I do not like, but I know that it is what it is despite what my fellow designers or myself would want it to be. If you have read my copyright series a while back, I think you know what I am talking about.

But this is over the top. It makes my blood boil. How can this NOT be a violation? A company in  India is making beadwork by the hundreds (thousands?) of copyrighted material. I have been around for a LONG time so I also noticed designs by other designers who perhaps many of you may not know/remember such as Veon Schunzel.

Sure, these designs may be old (back from the 1990's). The books may be out of print (mine is still available from Eagle's View Publishing) but that does not mean that the copyright has expired. It is still valid until 70 years after our passing away under current laws.

These earrings are massed produced in India. I don't think anyone can argue that this is not mass production. If you know me long enough, you know I never had a quibble about crafts persons making a few dollars selling at craft fairs, but I always stated "no mass production".

Then of course, insult on injury...notice the prices.

It's a sad day in my beading world.

I have written them an email telling them of their copyright violation and that I demand that they remove the earrings or pay me a license fee. I would be surprised if they answer me. If they do, I will let you know.

Below are 2 designs they stole. Both are from my book Earring Designs By Sig, published in 1992 by Eagles View Publishing.

This is the website:   www.wholesalebeaded.com

The Tutankhamun Earring on top right
is the one they copied/changed colors. But
bead for bead the design is the same

This is the dragonfly design. The

publisher did not include a photo

of this earring in the book.

Amazing Update On Previous Post

My Jan 12 2012 post "You Better Shop Around" was of interest to many of you. I received several emails expressing surprise, even shock about the price of SoNo at Fire Mountain Gems as compared to much smaller retailers.

My dear friend Cathy decided to take it a step further. She contacted FMG with the price analysis I wrote.

As a result, FMG dropped the price of SoNo.

Amazing!!

It does beg the question as to why it was so high for so many years. At least for all the years I have bought SoNo. But I am happy to report to you that the price is in line of where it aught to be.

If you would like to read the correspondence from FMG, read the comments in the Jan 12, 2012 post.

And a BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE to Cathy for taking the effort to contact FMG regarding this!!!

What a Difference a Day Can Make!

Eastern Sierras on SR-395 near Mammoth Lakes CA

My day job can have me driving over 9 counties. The most far reaching drive is to Mono County which is on the east side of the Sierras. It is a beautiful drive, but a bit troubling in the winter.

This year's weather has been strange. No rain (snow in the Sierras). But when I got the assignment to go to do an inspection in the town of Mammoth Lakes, I started stressing. It is a long 4 hour drive or more to get there. Using the Tioga pass, it is just under 10,000 ft, the second choice route the Sonora Pass is about 340 ft less at the summit than the Tioga pass. There is one more mountain pass I have not been on, but I am sure it is nearly has high, and just as windey as Tioga and Sonora passes. All three passes are closed in the winter, which would leave me with a choice of going through Tahoe (nearly 350 miles) or to go south through Bakersfield (over 400 miles).

View of Half Dome from the Tioga Pass

Pretty High!

As I said, it has not rained/snowed in my neck of the woods. All three passes were open. But that could change at any moment. Pressure was on me to get the heck over there to do my job. SOON.

Really?? Is that Cavelier supposed to
climb this grade on the Sonora Pass?

Next stressor for me in this assignment was the vehicle to get there. My assigned state vehicle is a Chevy Cavalier with 100,000+ miles. The engine light is always on and the mechanic just cant seem to find the problem. I did not have much faith in the piece of shit car getting me there and back in one piece.

My own personal car is a 1999 Honda CRV. A good car, but it has over 123,000 miles....and why the hell should I use my own car on state business for a lousy 50 cents per mile. If I got a flat or any other mechanical problem, the state would not help me out. The 50 cents per mile is supposed to cover it all.

That left me with the only option I could see. Rent a car on the state's dime. They won't really like it, especially since I insist on a substantial vehicle (SUV) to get over that way, should there suddenly be white stuff falling from the sky. A Presis just wont do.


Monday night, I picked up a Jeep Cherokee from Enterprise.  Then I went and got chains to carry in the car just in case. Hey, I gotta be ready for every disaster imaginable.  I packed blankets and food. You know just in I case I drive off the cliff and get stuck in a snow storm and need to do a re-enactment of the Donner party I wanted to be able to survive a week before I BBQ'D the old fart (Steve) for dinner. He would probably taste skanky anyways


So Tuesday morning before the sun came up we got into the car with enough provisions to feed and warm an army and I noticed a strange light on the dashboard of the Jeep In my opinion, strange lights shining brightly on car dashboards is not a good thing. Especially if you have no damned idea of what it means

I pulled into the nearest parking lot. I thought I pushed a button I should not have. After pushing everything I could find multiple times and looking for the Eject Button for my passenger who at 5:30 am has the remarkable way of having the skill an energy to royally pissing me off, I decided it had nothing to do with an unknown worthless  button.


Looking at the drivers manual proved it to be as worthless as the mystery button. It wasn't even a full manual. It was the quick start guide. Not one word about warning lights.

(Oh shut the F-up Steve. I will BBQ you and feed you to the bears)


 Fine.  I turned off the car. Maybe the light will go away. No luck. Still there. 


I am ready to belt Steve he is really pissing me off.  Ok Boss,  I know You meant well suggesting I take him along. I might put you on my spit too!


I turned the car off again. Let it sit for a couple minutes then turned it on again.  There!  If I blinked I would have missed it! Words flashing faster than I  can spend my money say "low tire pressure" and then disappear. 


Now tell me how should I know that an icon that looks like a coffee bean means that? I fail to see the connection. 


So do I fill the tire (which one ?) and go on? Or do I wait about an hour and half till 730 till Enterprise opens?


Being intimidated by tires represented as coffee beans I opted for the later. I told the guy to check out the light and all four coffee beans. He didn't understand at first. But then ran it to the back for the mechanic to check out.  


He came back with the Jeep a few minutes later and said "Strange... It was down a full pound pressure   It was just  checked before we gave it to you last night"


Just as he reached the keys to me we both looked at the  coffee bean tire. We  both notice a grey glint.


 A nail!


He pulls back the keys and says "Let me get you another car"


Great idea! !!


Now I have a Nissan Pathfinder. A GEM of a vehicle with every bell and whistle imaginable. I LOVED the car.


The Pathfinder got us there with no problem. I did my inspection, then we went to the hotel.  Then drove up the the Ski Center to have a look. By this time it was about 4pm. Darkness would not be long. We decided to go back to the hotel and had dinner at the restaurant next door.

Mammoth Lakes Ski Area

Watching TV later that evening got us a little nervous. A storm was brewing. We thought we should hit the road fairly early to get back to the central valley.


Wednesday morning, we left the hotel by 7:30. When we got to the Tioga pass it was CLOSED. Oh crap...


Second alternative, lets go towards Sonora Pass, about 40 miles to the north. Luckily it was open. Yes luckily!! 

Trying to get home on SR-395

We got home without a problem.


For grins this morning, I checked out the road conditions. All 3 mountain passes are closed. Travel advisories are in effect for the Tahoe region (don't travel if you dont need to).


Yes, what a difference a day can make. So glad I didn't wait any longer to do my inspection!!

Bragging Rights: Creations by White Wolf

Creations by White Wolf did my "Nikki" pattern (found here: http://www.beadedbear.com/pat_ani_down.htm 

She did a great job! I would never have thought to make this into a pin. It WORKS!! It would look stunning on a jacket, a bag...or anywhere else.

You can see this and more of Creations by White Wolf on her Etsy site. She has some wonderful beadwork.

Visit her here:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/CreationsbyWhiteWolf

You Better Shop Around...

My favorite thread is SoNo thread. I wish it came in long lasting cones like Nymo does since I go through a lot of thread. 

For my current project, I am using black SoNo. I am near the end of the little 100 meter spool. I thought I had a cone of black Nymo that I could jump into, but I think it sunk into the black hole of my messy bead-room. Ok…messy HOUSE!

So it is time for me to order more black SoNo. I might as well order more white while I am at it since I am also on the last spool. Since I go through a lot, I order no less than 5 spools at a time.

If you use a lot of something, it really does pay to shop around. It amazes me how much the price can vary. I have no problem if prices vary a little, but when they are nearly double, I think we are being robbed!

Here is a sampling of the prices for a 100 meter (109.36 yards)spools of SoNo that I found just by putting “SoNo Thread” into Google:

Fire Mountain Gems (www.firemountaingems.com)

The price break downs are according to how much you buy. The most expensive price is $13.99 per spool the least is $7.23. Shipping is additional also add a "processing fee".

Amazon.com $12.50 per spool plus shipping

www.thebeadcottage.com  $4.99 (plus shipping I think, they aren't currently taking on line orders)

www.beadsandcharms.com   $4.99 plus shipping

ww.BelloModo.com   Black  $4.30 each, or $3.79 if you order 5 or more

                                    White  $4.30 each or 2.90 if you order 5 or more

Shipping was FREE!

Can anyone tell me why there is such a difference in price for the same exact item?I have no big quibble on the difference of $4.99 vs $4.30 per spool. I think that is acceptable difference between retailers. I also do not have a problem with reasonable shipping charges. However, the difference between the highest and lowest prices I found for SoNo I think is robbery.

 The cheapest price at Fire Mountain is $7.23 once you meet the high volume requirement (order 200+ "assortable" units). The most expensive (buying only one spool) from Bello Modo is $4.30, or looking at a percent difference, it is about 68% more expensive at Fire Mountain at their least expensive price. For a bigger shock compare the highest prices between these two outlets. Fire Mountain is about 3 times (300%) more expensive than Bello Mundo. ($13.99 vs. $4.30). Don’t forget to add the $2.56 processing fee and $6.85 flat rate FedEx shipping.

Of course I ordered 5 of each color from Bello Mondo. With free shipping the cost was $33.45 for my 10 spools of SoNo.

The same exact order (5 spools of each color) at Fire Mountain Gems would have cost me a whopping total of: $149.31!!

I figured that gave me enough of a savings to buy little Norm the Gnome in the Know  (remember him??) charms and a cool button to play with from Bello Mondo too with money left over!!!  


BTW Bello Mondo has some really cool stuff!

Pics of My Trip to Bhutan, India and Nepal are Now Posted

If you are interested in seeing just a portion of my 4000 trip pics, they are now viewable here:

http://fantastictravel.topdoggerwebcentral.com/

Just scroll to the bottom for the India trip

Give Me That Old Time Religion...Or Not

Love this flow chart.

No comment as to where I wound up...

Click for larger view

Miserable Mabel on Pet Food

It's been a while since Miserable Mabel has contributed to this blog. If you have forgotten about her, or if you have not had the dubious pleasure of reading her earlier posts, let me remind you that she is a foul mouthed, hygiene deficient, good for nothing opinionated frump. If you are easily offended and lack anything resembling a perverted sense of humor please do not continue reading.


 You have had your warning.

Ok, now I think I have heard it all. On the radio, I heard an ad for a Mediterranean diet based food for cats and dogs. What the fuck!!??

I know, we spoil our damned pets. You can buy toys galore, fluffy blankets, posh beds, cutsie outfits and all sorts of treats, not to mention wet and dry varieties of every type of protein we humans eat in a mind boggling selection of brands which all claim to be the best for your fur ball.

Don’t get me wrong. I believe Fido should get quality food. He should have the nutrients he needs to keep him healthy for many years. And God knows I always worry about my Pussy. I would not want my Pussy to become ill from malnutrition or to become diseased. I take care of my Pussy best I can, dammit! It would be most inconvenient to have my Pussy sick and laid up where I could not stroke her until she purrs so much it sounds like she is choking. I am all for giving my Pussy the best I can so that she can keep me happy and entertain my friends with her little Pussy games.

But a Mediterranean diet? Shit!! Dog and cat food with olive oil? Really? If we are to believe the manufacturer, this  brilliant idea was conceived by a trip to Italy, when over dinner which included bread with olive oil they decided that dogs and cats should live like Italians.  I would also guess a little too much sun and vino also played a part.

So the idea took shape. And gullible pet lovers buy into this idea line hook and sinker.

I know a certain inspector who had a circumstance which led her to inspect a facility which processes the “meat by products” and “eggs” that go into pet foods. Before you think that this was a substandard place, let me say that a huge portion of these “processed ingredients” went to a highly picky and demanding pet food processor in Japan.

Vats of animal flesh not fit for human consumption, swimming pools of beef blood, sacks of dried eggs (coming from other swimming pools of not-fit-for-human-consumption eggs), and truckloads of fish parts were the lifeblood of this company.

The various animal parts where grinded, mixed, and whirled,  and cooked. Then these were dried to exacting demands of the customer who would then use it to make their brand of pet food.

I was told by this inspector friend of mine, that the sight alone could make you wretch. The smell (which could be detected a ½ mile away) would be enough to make you run. The two together could cause you nightmares if it didn’t cause you to puke your guts out.

But the average idiot person thinks that their pet food is wholesome. Pure. Perhaps even a stand in for human food. You've seen that commercial where the Pussy is fed her food in a crystal bowl. 

I am sure that this particular manufacturer of Mediterranean pet food gets their “ingredients” from a place similar to the one my friend visited. You don’t really believe they put prime cuts of meat into this stuff, do you? If you do, you are a damned idiot.

Now we are to believe that this Mediterranean Pet food is something special. Why would Fido or even my Pussy need such a “diet”? Do you really think they would know, or appreciate it?

Fido licks his ass, and on occasion eats his own “street sausages”. My Pussy goes out at night with an alarming regularity. She catches some rather distasteful animals during these nightly hunts. My Pussy brings these unsavory characters home, and since she had her lips around these nasty catches,  her breath smells not so minty fresh, but quite putrid. Is she that desperate or just lacking good taste?

No matter...

I do not think either variety of pet is that picky concerning what it eats. They are not gourmets.

If you look at the nutrition that dog foods and cat foods offer, many are more than similar. Don't they have to meet minimum nutrition requirements? Even for pet food?

I say it is all bullshit. And those who buy into it, deserve to be taken for their money. It is simply another way to get the gullible to open their wallets and spend more than they need to.

Hmmm perhaps there is a business for me in the making….I have a Happy Caribbean diet for your furry pet. A little rum soaked pork with a little green herb (which is illegal in most places) sprinkled on top for extra flavor for your pet will keep him more than happy. My Pussy enjoys this concoction nightly. And she does more than purr.

Anyone interested?

I Bead Therefore I am Happy

Special Happy price for 1 week only.
Regular $5, get this bracelet pattern here for $3.50 until Jan 9, 2012.
Pattern will be emailed after order is received.

For peyote or brick
1.3 X 6.2 inches
8 colors

Book Review: A Bounty of Bead and Wire Earrings

I got a little behind on my reviews. Lark Crafts/Sterling Publishing sent me this book right about Christmas time.

A Bounty of Bead and Wire Earrings

By Nathalie Mornu

2011 Lark Crafts

ISBN 12:978-1-4547-0018-0

paperback, 144 pages  $19.95

If you are in need of inspiration for creating fun, festive earrings this is the book for you. There are ideas in here which my crazy dreams could not come up with. Many left me thinking, "Why didn't I think of THAT!!" Which is really great because a new idea often spring boards into something else new and fun.

There are innovative ways to use wire, hoops and chains for fun whimsical earrings and also downright dressy elegant ones. The choice is yours.

Each of the 50 projects has a supply list, great directions and beautiful photos. If you can't find something in here to stimulate your creativity, then have someone call the paramedics because you may not be amongst the living!

This is a great book for any jewelry crafter's library! Don't miss it!

New Project: Dragonfly Earring Kit Anyone??

I was playing around with some beads I had in my bead stash, and a few I just bought.

This is what I came up with.

Would you like a kit for this earring?
Cast your vote on the side panel

What do you think? Would any of you be interested in kits for the earrings? I am thinking of buying several varieties of this the focal bead. But before I get to crazy buying lots for kits, I thought I would check to see if anyone would be interested.

Because of the cost of beads, I am predicting that the cost of the earring kits will be in the $45 neighborhood.

Survey is on the side panel. Cast your  vote.