Guest Schramm

Read this one...

Recommended Posts

Guest Schramm

Hello all, by now you all probably know that I have a thing against copywrite issues but I wanted to explain why I say things on here.

Many people come here and post and many more come here and read, some of these people are very new to using their cutter and want to desperatly start their own business and make it work.  In this economy for some it might be a last chance at a life that is better due to a loss of a job.  It is for these people that I make the statements as I dont want them getting started on the wrong foot or follow a bad lead.

I have been in business for myself for 23 years and in that time I have bought and sold many businesses.  I have bought out everything from bakeries, card stores, powder coating companies, hauling businesses, painting and construction companies and in each and every instance they all lost there business due to making poor decisions or not knowing enough.  I am not saying I am smarter or better then anyone else but I am just telling you what I have observed over the years.  We all make mistakes, we all pay for them but I have seen smart business people fold due to a crappy economy.  Most of you see the work that I do on furniture and mirrors but what many of you dont know is that I make a living buying failed businesses and the rest is just for additional income.  For the last 3 months I have had very little happening and I myself feared the worse but thank God things picked up.

All I am trying to relay here is this, when it comes to copywrites follow this simple rule:

If you have to ask...  you already know the answer!

If you follow that then you will run a great business that has no questions being asked if you are doing good trustworthy business.  We all could make money from stealing artwork of others but why?  Thanks for reading this and sorry I have been so vocal on the topic but for some new people here, they need to know the dangers!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very well put!

Your avater drives me nuts still, every time I see it I think I am conversing with a female...lol

I like his avatar. I liked his old one two.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well said Schramm...  Thank-you for the advise. I read it before and use it all the time.. "If you have to ask.......................... :angel:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

Stuff like that is far too common and more then likley he/she bought a disc with them on it from someone else and made his own.  I have a font disc with 100,000 fonts that I bought off ebay about 4

years ago and when it got to me it was a burnt disc - not original as described in the ad.  I have also been asked time and time again to copy my discs for money as I have tons of stuff you just cannot

get without spending 1000s and I could probably get 1/3 of what I paid from each person but I hate it when others take my pics and use them on their site so I dont think its fair stealing someone

elses hard work for a tiny profit just because I can.

There you go I changed the avatar - same girl different pic!  The girl is Yvonne Strahovski from the TV Show Chuck

post-0-12986539931784_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986539932476_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986539940077_thumb.jpg

post-0-12986539940456_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh and dont forget to tell them to wear the seatbelts. It will help them build a Trusted Business according to you.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

check the guy's other listings. He is taking open source programs, free to anyone, burning them to a disc and selling them. And people fall for it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Well, It is bad, thats for sure, but I think everybody choose to do what the want. it is their own risk and it is up to them if they get busted.

This reminds me of my parents in law. They are religious freaks and they want to make people believe in what they believe. They have an obsession with making other people follow the Bible. God gave us Freewill, if He doesnt force people to follow him then why are they obsessed to make others do it?

Everyone chooses how to run their business, but they have to know they will be responsible of their actions.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I fully agree with Joe. And Schramm is right also. It is wrong but you can't make people do what they do not want to. Thank you for posting this and I agree that everyone does need to read this.

:angel:;D ;D

Dave

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

All I am trying to relay here is this, when it comes to copywrites follow this simple rule:

If you have to ask...  you already know the answer!

I think the thing is, a lot of people don't even know to ask, especially newbies.

For example, yesterday I was in a convenience store.  They had a display that had about 200 different decals on it.  Nice decals, nice display but the packaging just didn't look quite right.  It just wasn't the quality I would expect for this type of merchandise.  They had a lot of generic stuff, but looking closer I and saw College logos, Winnie the Pooh, Car logos, etc.

The company has their name on the packaging, so I looked them up online.  They claim to have displays in hundreds of shops across the country.  They have been in business for a few years.  They provide the display units, have a buy back program, etc.  Looks like a totally legit operation.   

Would a store owner even think to ask if these were bootleg or not.  It looks like a totally above board company.  Maybe they are, but I find really hard to believe that they were able to get licensing agreements with all these major corporations.

So when a newbie sees something like that being sold, in a legitimate business setting, I can see how they might not even know what they are doing is illegal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

AHEM.. are you using Yvonne's image with her and/or her agent's consent?  *cough cough* :angel:

FUNNY!!!  Nope however I am neither reproducing or selling the images for a profit which is what is illegal!  NBC put out the avatars, pictures and they allow you permissions to use them for that intentent (not for sale!)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

Well I cannot tell people how to run their businesses and I dont agree with the stuff that happens on ebay but that is what happens on a daily business when discussions like these give people ideas. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am very new to this site and also to the cutting world, for lack of better terms.  I totally agree with Schramm on the if you have to ask, than your question has already been answered statement. But just because I agree with that statement, I can also see both sides of the fence on this one. But what it seems to boil down to me is....  Schramm is a pretty savvy businessmen and he was offering some great advice.  You can either take it, or don't. I don't see Schramm loosing much sleep over someone not heeding a little warning.  Time will tell all. 

thanks Schramm... :angel:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I know Ryon, I appreciate the info too  :angel: I just dont like to get stuff pushed you know?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Joe, please dont get me wrong... that's why I said I could see both sides of the fence on this one...  I am not here to step on any toes what so ever and I meant no harm at the comments I made....  This is an amazing site and a huge resource to all that use it....

As for being pushed, the best thing we can all do.... Take it with a grain of salt and go on with our lives.... The more time we think about it and let it affect our thoughts is just wasted time we could have spent on much better things....  :angel:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ryon, excuse me. I am not mad and I didnt get your comments as offesive or harmful. I was just saying.

I dont think your comments were made to harm anybody and I see no offesne in them.

This is the bad thing about writing, we never know how the other person took it as we can only interprete what was writen.

So dont feel bad  :angel:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

Joe,

I totally agree about typing what you are saying!  I dont mean to push my opinions onto others I only say watch what you post as some people dont have any idea that somethings you just cannot do.  I was not pointing my finger at anyone in general, I'm just saying...  Honestly that is the part that I hate about forums so much advise from people that have got trained the wrong way themselves.  Not just saying this forum but forums in general.  I have read so much bad advise given from people that the week before asked the same thing and got the wrong answer it is just not funny!

Here is my general thought on the biggest problems with forums...  People mistake the information on them as fact and instead of actually doing this for a living and then going out on there own they read all this great stuff about how easy it is to use and do and miss out on the people that find it easy are TRAINED!  Forums are not class rooms they are a place to chat and nothing more!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have one of the collections of company logos and I'm glad I do.  I've had to make some shirts and decals for a couple of companies who couldn't provide a decent copy of their own logo.  One example is the Shell Station in town.  Their employee shirts have to meet certain specifications and they have permission to get the shirts made by local companies with their logo's on them.  The problem starts when people are using the images without permission from the company that owns the trademark.  For instance I had a man who owns an ATV Retailer come to me asking for 40 Fox Racing shirts.  I told him that he would have to get the shirts from Fox Racing or a company that is licensed to sell their products.  He got very upset that even though I have the image I wouldn't make the shirts.  He was still irate after I explained that it was just as illegal for him to sell the shirts as for me to sell them to him without having the company's permission.  After he ranted for another 10 minutes on profits and overhead and finally left.  I was driving down the road that his business is on and what do I see in the window of his shop but a bunch of poorly made bootleg Fox Racing shirts.  I didn't mind one bit that I "lost" money by passing on that job, what really bothered me was that another business near here did exactly what he wanted just because he had money in his hand...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Schramm

To both of you I have to say you did the right thing.  Songs on YouTube are not going to get you sued after 2 years since you got permission.  In fact YouTube has 1000's of bands that will let you use their music for free to get noticed.

Copywrites are their only to protect the persons artwork from getting used in the wrong way.  Do I agree with all of them?  NO!  However I respect them as I do not want my business name involved in a copywrite lawsuit.  As a business person we all have to make tough decisions for the better interest of the moving our business to the next level.

Company logo discs are great!  I have them all - sports, beer, auto and the list goes on and on.  If you want to do something for yourself they are perfect and as well you can do art with them for any authorized dealers.  Example - Smitty Ford and Lincoln wants the Ford logo 4' tall x 8' wide on the wall behind the reception area - YOU CAN DO THAT as he is authorized as a representitive of Ford Motor Company.  Now the mechanic at the same dealership wants that same logo on his home garage floor... :thumbsup: YOU CANNOT DO THAT as he is NOT a authorized dealer he is only an employee of that dealership.

As for the Fox branding...  You did the right thing!  Once that guy has someone from Fox in to sell items at his ATV dealership and sees those shirts he will report back to his boss and they will send someone in to check it out.  Once they determine that the are bootlegs they will ask where he got them and they will no longer allow him to sell their merchandise and to top it off they will sue the maker of the shirts.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now