Sorry, We Can’t Do That

Hello In Stitches Family! I know that you’re surprised that there is something that we cannot do, but it’s true. We get requests every week for us to create something using copyrighted material and we just can’t do it. Let’s take a quick look at why.

I know, I know, these are POPULAR things! We all have our favorite team (Go Broncos) and some of us (Ashley) love anything with the mouse, but copyright is a real thing and it’s really important for someone in our industry. Can we share with you why?

First, let’s talk about what copyright is. Copyright basically is that the owner of an image is the owner of that image. Any time you use that image, you have to pay them or you can be sued. 

Here’s a little story time. I know someone in our industry who thought they could get away with selling images with a certain little cat that says hi a lot. And that cost them $35,000. Yep, you read that right, $35K! And it was well within the company’s rights to go after them for the money.

So, we just don’t do it.

But, it actually covers a bit more than even the big names. We may ask you permission to use your logos for reproduction or advertising. We do this to ensure both you as the consumer and us as the “printer” are legally protected.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

When you have a logo created by us or others, you need to make sure you have permission to use all parts of that logo for anything you want to use it for.

 

Even when someone is a sponsor for an event, we still need permission to use their logo.

 

These logos are literally ¼” tall but we still had to have permission to use them. (We use a special digital process to get such a clear image.)

So, what does this all come down to? If you don’t have permission to use an image or logo, we can’t use it. It protects all of us from HUGE issues!

If you’d like to read more about copyright, you can go here.

Thank you for reading all about why we’re such sticklers when it comes to copyrighted material! I know that you think of it as a “cease and desist” letter kind of thing but they don’t always start that way. Sometimes, they go for the jugular!

If you have something in mind, let us know. We can give you suggestions of ways to get what you want without infringing on copyright laws!