Copyright issues, stamped images

After a pm conversation yesterday I decided to have a look into selling cards on a slightly larger scale than I do at present, this lead me into the copyright 'nightmare' issue and so decided to try and find out about it. I emailed sirstampalot to ask for their assistance because I have brought quite a few of my Tildas from them and received a very prompt reply this morning with a link to their website where they have the rules regarding a few of the brands of stamps we all might have, Jayne suggested some of you maybe interested so am posting the link for you all to have a read

HERE

Very helpful, thanks Jan

I only sell a few cards each year and never more than 20 of any design - they are all hand-stamped.

I get very annoyed when people stamp up pages of one design and make multiple photocopies for their friends - this is almost always illegal.

Copyright is something I have to deal with at work but this relates to copying music from songbooks etc and distributing. We pay a substantial fee in churches to allow reproduction of words on screens and music for choirs/musicians and it is only right that the authour should get some royalties. The same should apply to stamp designers. We all have to make a living some how!

Thanks for that link Jan. Very useful. I wrote to the House Mouse company, and it seems you can't do a lot with them except to use them for personal use so won't buy any more as I make cards for people who ask me and the money goes to charity but they wouldn't even allow that I can understand them not wanting to mass produce images to sell but when you are making them into cards and selling them for charity

Very interesting. It could be quite a minefield as they all seem to have slightly different rules. What bemuses me and I'm sure it should be illegal is the number of people selling pages of stamped images on ebay.

If each individual image is hand-stamped that is sometimes OK depending on the maker. I suspect the quantiites they sell are probably illegal (but who's counting?) and you are definately not allowed to photocopy/scan them!

It looks like it is illegal Sue, before long even the Angel policy suppliers will change their terms of use and it will spoil it for the many that don't rip them off, another case of the minority spoilling it for the majority

When I first started card making I sent off to a few companies for their signed agreement and I found that a few with Angel policies still have a restriction on the number of times you can sell a stamped image per year. One was ridiculous had 50 times used restriction on a corner stamp ... that finished it for me and I have never used the stamp again. It is definitely a mine field and one I chose to stay out of he he

I wouldn't want to be making 50 of the same image , that would only make me a scaled down version of Clinton or Hallmark anyway Just got this flea up my bottom now that if I can't find a decent job then I will have to make one for myself. Not sure my cards are good enough anyway but might be worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained as they say

Go for it girl If you don't try you won't get anywhere he he

My gripe with the other stamp was that it was a corner flourish, max of 10 - 11 cards could have it on over the period of 12 months so I was at risk of overusing it as it was a lovely one he he

Hugs and good luck with your venture

Thanks Jen

Your cards are definitely good enough Jan. You go for it I was selling mine when I was at the shop. Not a lot of them as we introduced craft into the shop and so a lot of customers were then making their own. I did have a couple of people who regularly came in to get me to make a special card for them. My friend sends me an email every month of the cards she needs for that month

Am thinking of going round the florists in town after Christmas and ask them if they would be interested, can't get anymore personal than flowers with a handmade personalised card can you

Good idea I've also known someone who went in a sports shop and had a commission to make them sports related cards which they sold from the shop too, could be another idea for you if you don't mind making men's cards hehe

Good luck Jan. There is a monthly craft/antique market in Farnham and there are usually a couple of stalls there selling cards. Don't know how much the stalls are now but they must have to sell a lot to make it worthwhile. When I used to do the craft fairs selling knitwear the stalls had got to over £100 for a weekend. That's when I stopped doing them!

Thanks Sue
Well I certainly wouldn't be even of thinking of doing them if they were that expensive, blimey how is anyone supposed to make any money when you have to shell out that sort of money on top of what it costs to put your stock on the table
I don't mind making men's cards as most of the cards I have been asked to make are for men, they are harder for some reason but I don't mind at all

Go for it Sis, ya never know unless ya try