What can someone do if they already downloaded a free design which they think is probably illegal? I would hate to lose my sewing machine, which cost me more than my first new car!

I can just talk for law in my own country and I am not a lawyer or such, but as far as I know is downloading not allowed and offering strictly forbidden. It is a slight but important difference.

In france they test a procedure, which blocks your ID when catching you the third time with downloading from illegal sources.
In germany we do not have this (at the moment!) because of high valued privacy.

Next month we have elections for the new parliament in germany and the first time a new founded party named "Pirates" will take part of the run.
Their only election promise is to set the internet completely free of copyright.
And the process against the owners of "Piratebay" is re-opened and goes to the second round.
It will be interesting where this will lead to.

With every visit to the internet you are laying tracks- never wondered about the commercials appearing while surfing? Visiting a brasilian site and the commercial talks (in my case) german and is offering some "wonderful" things next to your hometown? Finding you is easy and this is why pederasts use handys now.

But don't worry too much, I never heard of a special unit seizing sewing machines- stitching housewifes maybe are not so big fish... ;-
But maybe I am wrong, so keep it private and be discrete.

And PS Cuties: this is why we should stop talking in public about "Chinese Sites".

1 comment

by marjialexa 31 Aug 2009

Oh, Eva, never underestimate the craziness of Americans. I've heard of computers, sewing machines, etc. being seized, but I suspect they were doing more than being a "simple housewife" putting a Mickey Mouse on a onsie for their kid. In my city, we had the health department close down a little kid's sidewalk lemonade stand because he wasn't using all stainless steel utensils in the production of lemonade for sale. Believe me, Americans can go to crazy lengths sometimes. I don't know if the Health Department was bored that day, or was trying to make some legal point, but it was truly absurd, and a waste of taxpayer money. Believe me, the taxpayers told them to "stop saving us from 9-year-olds!" hee hee hee. Ah, well. Have a good day, Cuties! Hugs, Marji

Thanks for the info.

I'd delete it as I wouldn't take the chance.

To answer Queen of Hearts, yes, if someone gets 'busted' and their computer is siezed, the id for your computer can be on theirs as having downloaded from thier site. Unless you're a computer genius, which I don't think most people who distribute illegal designs are, and law enforcement agency could obtain from their computers the id's and ISP addresses of their customers, whether you registered with the site or not. Nouveau, if you think a design is illegal, delete it. Check with the website you downloaded it from, ask them if they have a license to digitize the image. Most sites will tell you where the artwork or clipart is from. If the design in question is Disney, and it's not from Brother, do not mess with it, delete it. If you have any question about a design, ask the digitizer. If the digitizer won't tell you, I'd be suspicious. Thanks for being an honest embroiderer, and trying to follow copyright laws. Good luck, and hugs, Marji

Just do not sew it out & sell it. Don't think u will get wt in trouble just doing it for yourself but would not try and distribute it. *

1 comment

by queenofhearts 30 Aug 2009

Unless you sell it no one would know that you had it, would they?