I am devastated. I shouldn't be, but I am.
Long story short (I hope...brevity is not my strong suite). A letter was shared in on of the yahoo groups. The letter's creator is NOT a member of the group. It was shared by a snagger. The creator did not put her license number on her creation (I do not know if she has a license or not). A little investigation on my part revealed that the image was part of the MPTChristmas "Gift" package. The message with my statement of findings was sent to MPT.
Clearly the person who did this is gunning for my friend (whose yahoo group was shut down without notice because of this...) and for me personally as well.
I am now awaiting news as to if my MPT license has been revoked. They (neither the person who undercut us nor MPT) seem to have no desire to seek out the actual creator of the stat, instead choosing to make an example of my friend and I. Apparently our failure to publicly lambaste the girl who shared "a pretty letter she got in another group" is sufficient grounds to charge, try and convict us of "copyright infringement". All without contacting us I might add.
No consideration given for discrete directions given off list. No consideration given to the fact that neither my friend nor I have used any licensed art inappropriately. Everything we've made has the appropriate licenses, and adheres to the requirements of the various agencies and artists.
I am afraid that and sure that if one agency revokes my license they all will.
As I said, I am devastated. I shouldn't be, but I am. I am lost.
I've worked so hard to be compliant. Educated myself on what artist are available from what licensing agencies, spending a fortune on licensed art/images to use, another small fortune on scraps, making sure to credit everything from the Artist, the agency, the scrap kits, the scrap's creators, down to even the fonts used in the headers, tags and bodies of the stationary...just to have somebody flush all of that down the toilet... on a whim.
Why would somebody want to do that?
What horrible thing could both my friend and I have done to the same person at the same time to make her hate us so?
I think I "get" the persons perspective who reported the "violation".
I choose to believe that she thinks she is protecting the artist's interests.
(I protect artist's interests, however, one doesn't need to punish innocents to preserve the artist's interests.).
The road to hell is paved in gold with good intentions.
She has added another paving stone to that golden road.
Me, trying to diffuse a tense situation with humor, may well have cost me more than money.
It may well have cost me my hobby, something I am finally feeling good about, countless dollars to be sure...I suppose I could count them...but then I might lose my mind...
it may cost me my reputation, my ability to continue with this (really the only good thing I've managed to do other than my daughter)...
All the time, the effort, the money...
POOF!
I'm going to go cry now.
More on this travesty
here.
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