60484
I am grateful we have at least 2 digitizers allowing us to will our accumulated designs and hope that those who hear back from other digitizers will let us know of their responses, so that we will know of their position on the matter. We have many digitizers who are on this site regularly, I hope that we will get a clear yes or no from each of them too. I would think we would also want to keep a copy or print out of those statements just for covering all our copyright bases to be given with our will so that that any heirs would also be protected. Also just because a digitizer passes away they too could have their copyright extended to their heirs, so their death does not change the laws covering those designs. Hoping that we each can enjoy this wonderful passion of ours for many more years and that we each will hopefully find people in our families or in our own areas that would love to receive these items that brought us joy for so many years. Looking forward to what responses people get from their inquiries to the digitizers of their embroidery designs.
by sewist1
17 Aug 2016
I have thousands of designs from probably hundreds of digitizers and don't intend wasting valuable embroidering time chasing digitizers for statements about what to do with designs when I die.
Do you obtain such statements from musical artists, film companies, book authors, sewing pattern companies, knitting pattern companies - the list goes on?
I am willing to bet the great majority of people here record programs from their TVs. That is illegal also if you follow the letter of the law.
8217This really is a great question. It isn't what will happen to my stuff after I die - but, instead, can I will or give my purchased designs to someone after I pass. I am certain, we have all spent some money on designs ... is it legal to will them to someone to have after we are gone? I certainly would feel good knowing that my Granddaughter could use my purchased designs one day. Hugs to all, Laura*
by crafter2243
16 Aug 2016
Legally you can not will your digitial files unless you have permission from the digitizer. Vicky and Meganne have given permission and those you can include to one heir.
Same goes for programs. I bought digital programs and later no longer used them or purchased better ones. These could not be given either as it often states that only the original purchaser has the right to them.
I know it does not make sense but this is the law.
by sewist1
17 Aug 2016
Do you worry about every other item in your house which is copyright?
To take it to ridiculous lengths do you lend books or pass on magazines after you have finished with them? Do you question whether these can be willed to someone when you die. Relax and enjoy your hobby.
95352I just saw this post and glad I didn't miss it.....I am so in agreement with Bev regarding this is my hobby and an investment in myself.......as far as the designs I have digitized and have been purchased from me, I totally agree with Meg........I would be honored to live on through years after I am gone and would hope that whoever they are willed to will enjoy them in good health......as far as all my equipment and digi stuff, I have no one related that is interested in it, so I had a heart to heart with Boomer and with his artistic abilities he is very interested in learning this form of art so I will teach him when I feel it is time to do so and Boomer will be the recipient of all my "stuff".
by momac
18 Aug 2016
Thank you Vicky, will put a note of this next to your free designs you have so kindly given to us. Hugs from Maureen in South Africa
261161What a great post. I have thought about this often. I cannot see either of my daughters fighting over my embroidery machine. Georgie is my only granddaughter but at only 7 years old, she is still a bit young to teach.
The last two days I have been through all my "left over" materials. By that I mean pieces of material I keep after dressmaking. I have now sorted out and boxed all small pieces for appliqué and ITH projects. I have a huge bag for Hospice. I have vowed to myself that my home will be reasonably clear of rubbish if we have to move or when I die. I do not want my daughters having to sort out endless stuff that is of no use to anyone.
Your post has certainly given me food for thought.
253107What a depressing line of chat. Why do you embroider/sew? I do it because I like to, it gives me a chance to challenge myself to try new things, I'm doing something with my time other than sitting feeling sorry for myself. Who cares what your family does with your things when you're gone, are you going to look down on them from heaven and scowl? Right now, make something for someone, share your passion, cheer up their day. Live now, the rest will take care of itself.
by airyfairy
16 Aug 2016
I personally think it is a great line of chat. Yes, we all love our embroidery..................
by dailylaundry
16 Aug 2016
I think the real question was ... can we legally will or give our designs to a love one or friend, after we pass. Hugs!!
873I would like for some one else to enjoy my passion, but it will probably be dumped in the dumpster that will be parked in my driveway. Maybe my neighbors will dig stuff out before it goes to the big dump!! Kay
85867What happens when a digitizer dies? Do the designs die with him/her? Does the copyright expire? A number of digitizers have passed away since I started embroidering.
2350Well this is a great question ****I was thinking about giving all my stuff to a few cuties and they can pay the postage lol hugs
by mops
16 Aug 2016
As long as you do not add embroidery designs, unless you digitised them yourself, you can give away everything - machines, threads, fabric, scissors, needles, cuttingmats and rotary cutters, and all those handy notions, button collection, etc.
360437I have just drafted and this message to a digitiser and will let you know their response. You are all welcome to copy it to send to digitisers that you are concerned about buying from:
"Hi,
I have been admiring some of the designs you are offering for sale, but, before I buy any, I would greatly appreciate your seriously considered reply to this question:
Do you agree to purchasers of your designs leaving the purchased files to someone (one person) of their choosing in their will or re-assigning them to someone (one person) when they are no longer able (e.g. Due to serious physical or mental incapacity) to use them themselves?? This would, of coarse, be on condition that the person receiving them respected your copyright rules with regard to not making & marketing multiple copies of the design files and not selling edited versions of the design files.
It seems wrong for the design files to be ordered to "die" when the purchaser dies or becomes genuinely unable to use them due to circumstances beyond their control.
This issue has become a hot topic among embroidery enthusiasts and many have indicated that they will be hesitating to buy designs because they will be wasted if, before they even get around to stitching them, they die, etc.
I am happy to let other embroidery enthusiasts know of digitizers who treat their senior clients fairly and with dignity.
Your answer will probably influence whether or not I choose to become a loyal customer.
Kind regards,
..................."
I will let you know if I get any replies.
by barba
15 Aug 2016
Thank you for doing this for us. I am very interested in your answers. Hugs, Barba
3568I also had this question. I have a daughter, 2 granddaughters and a grandson who are interested in my embroidery and sewing. I would love for them to have the thousands of designs I have acumulated over the years but did not want to do anything illegal. I have always read that the designs cannot be given away or shared in any way. If I am not using the design I feel I should be able to give it away. I hope my designs do not have to be all deleted when I am. LOL. Hugs to all, Barb
by sewist1
15 Aug 2016
Doubt they will be able to prosecute you after you are gone. Books, movies and music discs are all copyright I don't see any controversy about passing those on to one's heirs.
6279Whew !!! what a can of worms your question has opened. I too have that same problem, loads of folded 'stuff ', jelly rolls, drawers of threads, and a fortune in designs, we'll forget about the rest !! Approaching my big 80 I suppose I ought to be thinking deeply about all this as no one in my family show any interest. I think I will approach our local Cancer Carers Craft Group to see what they can use......I would hate the waste of it all going to the tip/dump...any more ideas????............Ann
by barba
edited 14 Aug 2016
My concern is not with 'who might love to have all my designs', my concern was with 'is it legal to give my designs to them after I pass' as most sites say do not give away their designs or share their designs. I have worried about this for some time. I hope someone here has the legal answer. Hugs, Barba
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
that was exactly my concern... as I say there are copyrights in so many items, yet you can give them to someone if you choose to do so, including if you are no longer able to embroider.
986Maria I find it kind of sad that you say " I feel like this had being the worse mistake of my life, what a waste of money and time, it will be very rare if I ever buy another embroidery design". Did something happened that has soured you on machine embroidery? I know I probably spend way too much money on designs and other supplies that I need to do what I do. But I consider it an investment in myself. It makes me happy to be able to create what I want and share with friends and family. Sometimes I can even make a sale but never will recoup what I have in time and supplies. So for myself I will keep buying those designs that I like ,being creative in one way or another. I also have other interest besides machine embroidery that require purchases to complete my projects. If I weren't doing embroidery I would be doing something else that requires both time and money. So live for today and remember you can't take it with you.
by graceandham
14 Aug 2016
Yes, Bev, I agree. We're entitled to our fun. My boys may use my CD's for target practice!
by crazystitcher
14 Aug 2016
We all know we "can't take it with you" but there are those who would like to know that the large amounts they spend on things like designs could be left as a legacy to those they care about - you can still have fun in other less expensive ways without sending thousands up in smoke.
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
yes, crazystitcher I'd love to give my designs to one of my grand daughters or my daugther, only on of my grand daughters is interested in this kind of things....
67271When I die my family can fill a huge dumpster with all my stuff. I will be gone and I wont care anymore. None of my daughters or granddaughters share my passion for sewing and that's OK with me. I would hope my machines could be donated to the Salvation Army. Most of the things that I make I give away anyway. I will continue to buy designs that make me happy without regard to what will happen to them when I am gone. I don't care.
by mariahail
15 Aug 2016
hahaha, my daughter takes everything to the Salvation Army, maybe that will be where she takes my embroidery machines and sewing machines when I'm gone! LOL LOL LOL
by katydid
15 Aug 2016
I already know my embroidery stash in be in a dumpster, along with my other belongings as my daughter does not sew. I know she will save the artwork,paintings, silver, crystal and china, but little else
22592I look at it this way, 3 closets full of fabric, 7 machines used in various forms of sewing. Lots of thread and books, cd's, and designs on computer. A collection of quilts and supplies. This does not take into account stuffed animals, and other collections of stuff I like. My family knows they can keep what they want, sell and donate the rest. It won't be my problem. And if my family wants to keep designs, their names are on the accounts that paid for it, the embroidery police can go knock on whose ever door they please. I had fun with the stuff when I was alive and that is why I have it. It is not for me to worry about when I die.
by queenofhearts
19 Aug 2016
" I had fun with the stuff when I was alive and that is why I have it. It is not for me to worry about when I die." My sentiments exactly.
10990I am not going to worry about that. When I die and go to heaven, I will be too busy rejoicing and seeing people who went on before me. I won't care who gets my "junk" or how much I spent while on earth. Hugs, Gail
3034I have two Granddaughters who I hope will both be interested in sewing and crafts as their mum also does a lot of crafty things. I have willed my embroidery machines to them and I will instruct my son on splitting my design collection between the two girls. I know he will respect the copyright laws so I have no qualms in passing them on after I pass on.
As a digitiser I would hate to think that my work died with the generation of embroiderers who bought my designs, that would be such a terrible waste of my thousands of hours spent creating them.
So any Cuties who have my designs please note, here and now, I give my permission for you to pass them on to ONE other person when you are no longer able to use them. This does not give carte blanch authority to share them while you are also still using them.
(but think about this, how would I ever find out if you did???) LOL!!!
Hugs n roses, Meganne ~ Melide Menschen Designs
by crazystitcher
14 Aug 2016
Good on you, Meganne. Thank-you for giving people one less reason to feel guilty about indulging in purchasing your lovely designs.
by gerryb
15 Aug 2016
Tks. I do have some of your designs...and love them...but hopefully one of 4 grand daughters or their moms will want to cont. on my sewing!!
122864This very provocative question has been crossing my mind recently and we should all consider this seriously. The same goes for my lengthy genealogy. There are sewing guilds in my are that I need to contact. Let us all know what you each have decided.
1235I've been wondering the same thing! No one in my family sews. So I've been thinking willing it to a close friend!!!
421You have posed a very good question - one that I have also been wondering about - (& felt guilty about buying something that I might not be able to leave to an heir when the inevitable happens - would have liked to believe that a person of my choosing could inherit my "collection"). Perhaps we will all have to approach individual vendors in writing with special requests for them to clarify their policies to make an exception to their current "rules" in this regard ; otherwise, quite a number of folk will be thinking twice about whether to click that button to buy something that they don't have a definite immediate use for (which for people who like nice things, might have become a little addictive).
There is also the question of whether or not such vendor policy "rules" are internationally legal rules.
Many software vendors (other than embroidery design vendors) allow purchasers to resell or give away the software provided that they don't keep any copies for their own use and that they don't falsely claim to have created the software themselves.
Surely that would be a more fair and reasonable policy for embroidery design vendors to have.
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
I just though about how selfish and greedy is the idea of "just for you when you are alive" your children may have to buy the designs again if they want them....my big question is why are designs differents that so many other items with copyright? I feel like this had being the worse mistake of my life, what a waste of money and time, it will be very rare if I ever buy another embroidery design....just like a cold day in...well yow now where...
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
AND AFTER SO MANY YEARS....I do not even know the vendors, as I itemized my designs...another mistake????
by nutshell
14 Aug 2016
Even if you know who the digitizers are, some of them have gone out of business.
by katydid
15 Aug 2016
I have bought several CD's of going out of business. They are among my stash.
3568I have a good friend and also a favorite sister-in-law, both of whom I started in machine embroidery, who my husband and kids know to pass it on to or at least let them guide them through the sorting process so that hopefully someone can use my stash of fabric and supplies as well as my design stash and machines. Not sure I understand why they can't be given away as inheritance, since I will not be using them anymore by then! Hugs. Nan W
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
see? that's the point! if you can not leave them to anybody why buy anymore? you know you are never going to embroider all you have, so we need to stop buying by impulse and only getting a design that we absolutely need, if you can pass your music and your books, that are all copyright, why no the designs? In fact I never seein a law that say that we could not sell an album or a book in a garage sale for .25 cents, why is this copyright different? surely it is a dead investment....
11763I remember reading on a post years ago, that you could not give them to anybody, not even as an inheretance...well I have a friend who received over 25,000 albums after her grandmother's death, she sold then at an auction for over 100,000.00!!!! and there is copyright on albums and books so why not giving them to your daughters or grandaughters?
Embroidery is a very expensive hobby, after 15 or 20 years and you are trying to get your affairs in order, you realice what a waste of money this was, what a bad investment, my advice to new embroiderers is not to collect but to buy only what you need at that particular tima, buying when they are on sale is not good either, since we are addicted to designs and buy more than we need, just in case we need them one day...don't do it...I have spent hundreds and hundreds, perhaps thousands in 15 or 20 years and soon I will have nothing to show for...what a big waste of money!!!!!!
60484My daughters have been told get in there before your father does. lol Any thing they don't want is to given to the local rehab hospital after all it was them who taught me to sew again using only 1 hand.. But no haven't thought to much about it..
45917What a question... Never though about this before... But if I do it now... For sure I don't know. There is really nobody around me who has that crafty or sewing virus in them...hmm maybe a cutie living in Belgium or Holland ?..
146761I have two daughters-in-law, only one just getting interested in craft, machine sewing and i hope to also get her interested in hand and machine embroidery. As her own mother has passed some time ago, she has had no one to teach her or pass on their skills. I do hope she is the one i can guide towards my interests which my mother passed to me as she was a dress maker. As times have progressed forward in lots of areas, i hope my DIL takes advantage of my knowledge. You do wonder what will happen to all your collections, but i guess today not many have a passion like the older generation. Sandra.
24329I have a daughter and granddaughter who will make good use of it.
4443Difficult question - but some of us may think about this subject. Me too...Two of my daughters share my hobby for sewing, crafting, knitting and embroidering. They will take advantage then of the embroidery collection and machine(s). Or do you think about copyright?? I don't know that - Hugs Maria
by mariahail
14 Aug 2016
yes, it is because the copyright, but you can give a book or a cd...what is the difference?
5455560484
