Pattern in electronic format

I've thought about this too, and we will also protect the pdf file, so it
can't be "re-engineered", but unfortunately there is nothing you can do, if
someone does want to steal. I do admit, that sending them out via email of
course is much easier. Would be nice if we could have something like
"Mission impossible". You can print it twice (one more, in case the printer
plays up), and then it self destructs within 1 minute LOL.

As Connie said, you can always copy printouts as well. Or you can limit the
printout from a pattern viewer, but still it can be copied.

I will actually place my copyright notice within the chart, very readable
and in a place, where you would destroy the chart, if you try to get rid of
it, but the chart will still be completely readable and clear, as it should
be. At the moment my husband (who is the computer wiz), is toying with the
idea of a water mark, which still keeps the chart crystal clear, but can't
be removed at all.

I guess, we all have to rely on the honesty of all the hard core stitchers
out there, who are willing to pay for the pattern and not steal it. I reckon
there are many, and they still outweigh the others.

Though I have to say, we say an interesting trend, when my website first
went up. We had an extreme amount of Chinese traffic. My hubby had a lot of
work to block all these ISP's. I reckon they tried to get to the pictures
and reacreate designs that way. It has now stopped, not at last because you
can't copy or print the pictures from our site.

Happy Stitching
Sibille
www.myenchanting.com


"Caryn" wrote in message
oups.com...

The only problem with releasing them that way would be how much easier
they are to share. One person could buy your chart and send it via
email to unlimited amounts of others.

Just something to consider.

Caryn

StitchingNut wrote:

At the moment my husband (who is the computer wiz), is toying with the
idea of a water mark, which still keeps the chart crystal clear, but can't
be removed at all.


If you come up with a script for this, I would be interested in buying a
license.

I like .pdf format and (to my surprise!) most of my customers do, too.


--
Lizard Gumbo
aka Elizabeth

http://www.effervescentdesigns.com

Pop the bubbles to reply.

StitchingNut wrote:

I've thought about this too, and we will also protect the pdf file, so it
can't be "re-engineered", but unfortunately there is nothing you can do, if
someone does want to steal. I do admit, that sending them out via email of
course is much easier. Would be nice if we could have something like
"Mission impossible". You can print it twice (one more, in case the printer
plays up), and then it self destructs within 1 minute LOL.





I know someone was working on a pay-to-print for charts, where you'd be
given a URL that would only work once. If you had a problem printing
it, you'd have to write and ask for a new URL.

Doesn't solve the problem of photocopying, but the person would have to
go to the extra step of scanning in order to pass it around by e-mail.

Dragon Dreams prints the chart on colored paper. With all MY knowledge
and experience with photocopying bad copies, it took me a lot of time
(and wasted paper) to get a legible working copy, though I did
eventually get one. If someone's going to a copy shop and paying a dime
a copy, it would almost be cheaper for them to buy a second pattern than
go through all the steps and adjustments that I had to do. I reported
back to her on the whole process to reassure her that she was about as
copy-proof as it can get and still be legible.

(Black print on Christmas red paper is essentially copy-proof, but it's
also a PITA to read. We did a ballot-by-mail that way, and even with
large heavy extra-bold print, some of our elderly members complained
about the difficulty in reading it.)

--

Karen C - California
www.CFSfacts.org where we give you the facts and dispel the myths
Myths, with research cites: http://www.aacfs.org/images/pdfs/myths.pdf

Finished 1/26/07 -- Classy Lady in Coral (JCS) -- done in purple to
match the companion piece

WIP: housewarming gifts, July birthstone, Flowers of
Hawaii (Jeanette Crews) for ME!!!
Retrieved from UFO pile: Marbek's Snow Angel
LTR: Fireman's Prayer (#2), Amid Amish Life, Angel of Autumn,
Calif Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe

Editor/Proofreader www.KarenMCampbell.com
Design page http://www.KarenMCampbell.com/designs.html

StitchingNut wrote:


I will actually place my copyright notice within the chart, very readable
and in a place, where you would destroy the chart, if you try to get rid of
it, but the chart will still be completely readable and clear, as it should
be. At the moment my husband (who is the computer wiz), is toying with the
idea of a water mark, which still keeps the chart crystal clear, but can't
be removed at all.

I've been quietly watching the discussion up 'til now, but I thought it
about time for me to pipe up.

I absolutely will not buy patterns with copyright notices over the
'meat' of the chart. Unless you've got some magical new technology that
hasn't hit the mainstream...you can bet on running into people with a
similar opinion.

On the other half of it, if the copyright notice is so lightly printed
as to be unobtrusive...it would take all of two minutes in Photoshop to
remove with simple Levels correction.

It's a no-win situation, and I can sympathize...
Becky A.

Hi Becky,

well, as long as the notice is a watermark and doesn't disturb the chart, I
don't think there is anything wrong with it, and I believe, that the
designer does have the right to protect the charts.

I'm just running a trial with a light watermark and see how it prints, and
how obtrusive it is. It doesn't disturb the chart, the pdf. file is secure
with password, so you can't easily remove it, and I wonder, why you would
refuse to purchase a pattern, that's protected by the designer, when the
chart is clear readable.

Once I know if it works, I'll post it in the group with a trial chart, and
those interested in seeing it are welcome to email me to get it mailed to
them, so they can try it out.

Happy Stitching
Sibille
www.myenchanting.com

"Becky A" wrote in message
...

I've been quietly watching the discussion up 'til now, but I thought it
about time for me to pipe up.

I absolutely will not buy patterns with copyright notices over the 'meat'
of the chart. Unless you've got some magical new technology that hasn't
hit the mainstream...you can bet on running into people with a similar
opinion.

On the other half of it, if the copyright notice is so lightly printed as
to be unobtrusive...it would take all of two minutes in Photoshop to
remove with simple Levels correction.

It's a no-win situation, and I can sympathize...
Becky A.

StitchingNut wrote:
Hi Becky,

well, as long as the notice is a watermark and doesn't disturb the chart, I
don't think there is anything wrong with it, and I believe, that the
designer does have the right to protect the charts.

I'm just running a trial with a light watermark and see how it prints, and
how obtrusive it is. It doesn't disturb the chart, the pdf. file is secure
with password, so you can't easily remove it, and I wonder, why you would
refuse to purchase a pattern, that's protected by the designer, when the
chart is clear readable.

Once I know if it works, I'll post it in the group with a trial chart, and
those interested in seeing it are welcome to email me to get it mailed to
them, so they can try it out.

Happy Stitching
Sibille
www.myenchanting.com


I will not buy such patterns because the copyright markings are never
unobtrusive. I find them to be VERY distracting to the eye. I refuse
to waste precious stitching time with skipping around all over because
my eye can't track cleanly thru the pattern.

I'm not saying that wanting to protect your works is wrong. You (and
other designers) have every right to do so.

Please don't get the impression that I'm telling you how to do anything,
or even lecturing. Really, what you do is your business and that's
that. It's just that I have different tastes in what is acceptable and
what is not in the products and services that I purchase.

On the extremely rare occasions that I do acquire a chart with such a
marking on it, my first order of business is to get rid of it by one of
several methods. Only then will I consider working the design.

A CR notice was never intended to actually tamperproof a work. It's
just that, a notification.

No disrespect intended, Sibille. I have faced similar issues in the
past, and there are no easy answers, as I am sure you well know.

Becky A.

Becky A wrote:
StitchingNut wrote:
Hi Becky,

well, as long as the notice is a watermark and doesn't disturb the
chart, I don't think there is anything wrong with it, and I believe,
that the designer does have the right to protect the charts.

I'm just running a trial with a light watermark and see how it prints,
and how obtrusive it is. It doesn't disturb the chart, the pdf. file
is secure with password, so you can't easily remove it, and I wonder,
why you would refuse to purchase a pattern, that's protected by the
designer, when the chart is clear readable.

Once I know if it works, I'll post it in the group with a trial chart,
and those interested in seeing it are welcome to email me to get it
mailed to them, so they can try it out.

I will not buy such patterns because the copyright markings are never
unobtrusive. I find them to be VERY distracting to the eye. I refuse
to waste precious stitching time with skipping around all over because
my eye can't track cleanly thru the pattern.

I'm not saying that wanting to protect your works is wrong. You (and
other designers) have every right to do so.

Please don't get the impression that I'm telling you how to do anything,
or even lecturing. Really, what you do is your business and that's
that. It's just that I have different tastes in what is acceptable and
what is not in the products and services that I purchase.

On the extremely rare occasions that I do acquire a chart with such a
marking on it, my first order of business is to get rid of it by one of
several methods. Only then will I consider working the design.

A CR notice was never intended to actually tamperproof a work. It's
just that, a notification.

No disrespect intended, Sibille. I have faced similar issues in the
past, and there are no easy answers, as I am sure you well know.

I agree with Becky. I can't stand watermarks on plain text documents.
I can't ignore them. I can't even stand paper that is made with a
watermark in it and those are usually tone on tone. I would never
knowingly buy a chart that had a watermark on it because it would try my
patience too much to attempt to stitch "around" it. It won't provide
any better enforcement of copyright law and will annoy the heck out of
some legitimate customers.

To adequately test your watermark for readability, you need to consider
variations between printers--some will make the watermark almost as dark
as the foreground no matter how you design your file. You also have no
control over the color of type of paper the stitcher will use to print
the file and the watermark's appearance will change in those cases also.
Enlarging/reducing will also make a difference. Until you've done
quite a bit of testing along these lines I don't think you should claim
the chart is completely readable or else you should expect to receive a
lot of complaints.

You should also make certain watermarks work in older versions of
Acrobat (I'm thinking of users who still have Win 95 computers who can't
use the newer versions of Acrobat reader) because if they don't you
really could make the files completely unreadable or unprintable. I
have trouble printing .pdf files on my printer because it is old enough
not to support the newer postscript stuff. A very simple (or old) file
will print but more complex things (like copies of my latest tax return)
have a ragged split about 2/3 of the way down each page and the
remainder prints on another page.

And to really pick nits, you are forcing your customers to use more
ink/toner than they really need to in order to print your charts
(assuming the alternative is the standard fine print copyright notice).
That is probably negligible for a one-nighter size chart, but can make
a cost difference on a 20 page chart.

--
Brenda
Help Project Gutenberg--become a Distributed Proofreader
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