What to say to people who intend to steal your ideas?

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What to say to people who intend to steal your ideas?
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Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 10:57 am Post subject:

Sarah D wrote:

You could try putting up a notice in largeish print something along the line of "I hope you like my designs/articles/kits - they are my own ariginal designs and I would appreciate you not copying them/stealing my ideas/techniques without my express permission. " - or similar.

I t won't stop those who are hellbent on copying and stealing your ideas, but it might help, and put those of a less selfish nature off.

See, the thing is I knew that at an event like that some people would go 'Ooh, I like that, I think I'll have a go' but to tell you to your face that's what they're intending and to take photos to aid them is just really disheartening, especially when you've heard it for the hundredth time. The only other event I'm doing this year that has the same sort of customer base is Fibrefest, next year I won't do the same sort of events.
Actually, I thought I was very restrained not to be extremely sarcastic

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:01 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

Stacey wrote:

I've applied to be part of a small business mentoring scheme where they'll assign me a consultant to help me find how to get to the market that's right for me. The last woman who did it makes applique tea cosies (amongst other things) and she now has a turnover in excess of 60k

That's an interesting resource? Is it a local or a national thing?

Local. I'm in a very fortunate position at the moment that there are schemes/resources springing up that are trying to address the issue that putting all our eggs in the tourism basket isn't actually sustainable or beneficial for the majority of the indigenous population. There are groups looking at how the creative population of Cornwall can expand and get their products into a wider market. One of my best mates is at the forefront of the research so I get to hear about it early

The people providing the mentoring scheme are the same people who provided the marketing course I went on recently.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:03 am Post subject:
Just point them in the direction of the notice/s and say it out loud as well. You can practice on me at Fibrefest if you like................ I'll bring my camera...............

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:05 am Post subject:
I do know what you mean, though, I've had it done to me over the years. It's the blatant, ignorant selfishness, laziness and greed aspect of it that annoys me. Hope you come up with a solution.

Green Man

Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:09 am Post subject:
I have a client that has an outdoor clothing store in town. She tells me that more and more people are comming in and trying on clothes, and blatently saying they just wanted to make sure it fitted before they bought elsewhere online. How rude is that?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:10 am Post subject:

I find its how they do it that makes the difference, I never mind if someone says 'thats lovely, I'd like to try something similar, can you talk me through the process', but I also had people at Wonderwool acting as if I wasnt there and discussing how they would make the same thing. The only one that really irked me though was the lady who bought a booklet, then said 'that will be so useful, I'm going to photocopy it for all my friends'

Anyway, they are in a minority, most people are lovely.

As for kits, I agree they arent much fun to batch fill, but I've found they bring in repeat orders, I've sold loads of hat kits on the re-enactment circuit, and then people come over who have seen friends with them and buy ready made hats if they aren't knitters themselves. The end result has worked for me,but it took a couple of years to filter back round properly.

Jonnyboy

Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 23956
Location: under some rain.

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:21 am Post subject:
How about a 'no photographs' sign?

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:21 am Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

The only one that really irked me though was the lady who bought a booklet, then said 'that will be so useful, I'm going to photocopy it for all my friends'

That's outrageous

Quote:

Anyway, they are in a minority, most people are lovely.

They were out in their droves at woolfest

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:28 am Post subject:

How flippin rude!

I often see things and think to myself, "I could make that", as I'm sure others do, but I wouldn't dream of saying it out loud while looking! And I tend not to look too much if I'm thinking that, because I feel too guilty.

It's got to the point now though, that Paul jokingly says, "You could make that" once we've walked/I've been dragged away

Usually when he doesn't want me buying something, he knows how to tickle my ego, see

Oh, and even if I had thought, "I could make that", depending what it was, if there's a kit available, I'd probably buy it.

I can't believe there are such rude people out there though! Not sure what I'd say to them, probably just glare at them in a dusgusted kind of look, or maybe say, "would you be interested in buying a kit to make one, I've been thinking of putting something together".

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 11:29 am Post subject:

Jonnyboy wrote:

How about a 'no photographs' sign?

Oh, yeah, forgot about the photos part, now then I would have something to say!! The cheak

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 12:13 pm Post subject:
I think it's just genuine thoughtlessness - people think of these things in terms of their own hobbies - not your livelihood. I do it all the time, so I can't condem it (mind you, I do admit to being artistically challenged, at least!)

Cathryn

Joined: 16 Jul 2005
Posts: 19856
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 12:49 pm Post subject:
I dooo sympathise with this. It happened to me once years ago and still angers me now! I discovered a woman selling a piece of jewellery which was definitely my design (used to work in silver). She had been on the same course as me a few months before - I still feel hopping mad about it now I couldn't think of anything to do about it so I suppose it's why I still feel cross.

MarkS

Joined: 01 Aug 2006
Posts: 2626

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 12:57 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

The only one that really irked me though was the lady who bought a booklet, then said 'that will be so useful, I'm going to photocopy it for all my friends'

Ask if she shoplifts as well?

katie

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 713
Location: midlands

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 1:22 pm Post subject:

Slightly different but showing the same thoughtlessness/lack of regard for someone actually trying to make a living - it really irks me when I'm selling plants and someone comes up and wants to know all about a particular plant on the stall. I tell them all about it and then they say ' I just wondered because I've got one at home'. Gnash! Even worse are the pairs of ladies who come up and look together. One picks a plant up at which point the other says 'Ooh I've got that in my garden. I'll give you some.' Double gnash!

wildfoodie

Joined: 05 Apr 2005
Posts: 2169

Posted: Mon Jul 02, 07 2:26 pm Post subject:
you could laugh condescendingly and say ' its much harder than it looks.... '

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