This post makes me very sad. I'm writing this to help out a fellow maker. It comes at a good time off the back of the
Meeting Friends post I wrote last week. I do not know Savannah in 'real life' but I know her as a fellow maker and
Etsy shop owner. I really love her work, and so too does it seem does the huge brand Lindex. So much so that they thought it would be fine to help themselves to one of her more popular designs, and plaster it all over a baby body suit to sell without telling her or of course paying her. It happens all too often to small designers and makers, recently to an
ex-student of mine. Someone in their design team thought it was ok to trawl the internet lazily looking for designs to rip off rather than doing the work they were
paid to do. We can only guess how expensive it must be to fight something like this. I cannot imagine the cost of hiring a lawyer to fight for something you've worked so hard on creating. I assume that is why companies get away with it so often. Either it is not spotted or it is just to expensive for people to fight huge profit making organisations. I am asking you to visit Savannah's
blog, leave a comment of support or maybe perhaps donate something to her legal fees. (She has set up a donate button on her blog). Spread the word any way you can that this is not acceptable. I hope that this never happens to me or anyone else I know.
UPDATE 10/10/12: Great news from Sleepy King! Apparently due to a huge response with people on twitter, facebook and contacting Lindex directly they have taken down the garments in question. Lots more info on the story here. Quote from Savannah's facebook page:
"Lindex has officially appologized on their facebook page. I have been in contact with the head designers of Lindex and we are working on an agreement before they put the items back online and on the shelves. Thank you to everyone who made this happen!! The power of social media is what made this possible!"
