to pin ... or not to pin

you may have noticed that i installed a 'no pin' code on my site, you may also have noticed that some or all of your pins from my site have disappeared.

i have mixed feelings about pinterest (as do many others) and i'm sure you've read about the controversy surrounding copyright issues etc...while i love the idea of sharing images and scrolling through those collected by others, i am also sensitive to the notion that these shared images can become a breeding ground for intellectual property theft and that many of them have not been authorized by the copyright holder for pinning.

as an artist, i really enjoy sharing my work with you here on my blog and also in my shop. however, i came to notice that several people were pinning images of my original designs onto 'DIY' boards or something similar...while i appreciate that they enjoy my work, it is disheartening to think that the designs i have spent so many hours creating are being copied onto the pinterest website for anyone and everyone to share without my permission. 

i began posting in the comment section on images that were pinned from my blog or shop and requested to have them removed by the pinner. i also submitted a request to pinterest administration and they responded by removing all of the 'original pins' from the site. although, i do believe that the repins are still visible, so don't be surprised if you get a little message from me sometime in the future kindly asking you to delete them.

i went back and forth a few times before coming to this decision. i hope you don't think i'm a meanie because of it and that you will continue to follow along with my designs and inspiration both here and on facebook.

sincerely,

lori marie

♡

Comments

[Sandra]

I understand your feelings but just wanted to let you know that Pinterest hanged their Terms and Conditions last week. I don't know if you've seen them yet and even if you have, it may not be enough to change how you feel, but I just thought you may like to know....

S x

[elizabeth]

i love pinterest but i totally understand what you are saying. i love it for finding new recipes & inspiration.. not everything is for everyone though. i can respect that. :)

[April]

IMO, there are so many things wrong about the way Pinterest is used. I resisted the craze for a long time, but finally caved a few months ago. I couldn't care less about sharing my pins or having followers, I just loved the idea of having a place to visually bookmark things that I love. As a visual person, "pinning" has become a much easier way for me to keep track of sites, ideas, and products I would normally bookmark. As a "pinner" though, I adhere to a strict personal pinning policy that I have created for myself because of all the reasons you mentioned above. Long story short, I support your decision 100%!

[lori marie]

@April. i feel the same way! i closed my original acct and then had withdrawals so i opened up a new acct :) i always kept it to myself since i didn't care much for followers or repinners. like you, i used it as a substitute for bookmarks which was super handy and fun!

i have since closed my second acct because i just don't feel right blocking my stuff while still pinning other people's stuff. it's a big sacrifice! now i just keep images and links in a file folder on my desk top. i use the url as the file name so i will be able to locate the source when i need....a little bit more time consuming but overall it's a pretty decent system :)

[lori marie]

@Sandra. yes, thank you, i did read the new TOS and i see that they took the part out about being able to license and/or sell people's pinned material, but i didn't see any changes to the copyright terms..and they still do not require it's member to verify that they own the copyright and/or have been given permission by the owner to pin on an individual basis (ie with each and every pin). i think that most people just click on the terms and conditions at the beginning in order to join without really reading and understanding the limitation.

i'll admit that i too am guilty of loving the ability to be able to pin whatever whenever and i'm sure i will miss it!

[Abbie]

Toooootally understandable! That is one reason I decided to take my shop down from Etsy as well. There are too many people that think it is ok to use others ideas and simply try to re create them. I think I was guilty of pinning one of your items onto my Childrens Pinterest, not knowing the way you felt about the subject. So for that I appologize. But, I also have that adorable item that I pinned hanging in my daughters room right now (that I purchased through you) and LOVE it! So for that Thank you :) You are a very talented artist.

[anita]

So disappointing, but I understand your position. Best of luck in everything that you do!

[Vanessa]

I like Pinterest for the same reasons, to bookmark things with the built-in link and to have a place to "save" images that I don't have to put on a file on my desktop. But there are also so many things wrong with the execution of it.
I don't care for followers or repins and personally the lack of privacy settings has always bugged me. If I pin something its to save it for my personal future reference, like I do with clippings, and I hate that its default setting is "public" and there are no options to "private" a board. If I pin, which is rare now, I'm inadvertently "promoting" something even if I don't necessarily want to or have any intention to promote it either.
Anyway I always like seeing your inspiration because I think you are wildly creative! :) It doesn't matter to me because its obviously a personal decision, but I admire that you do it with integrity (not wanting others to pin your things and not pinning either.)

[Catherine]

I can totally understand your thoughts here on Pinterest. There are too many people on there that are not respecting the rules and that is just ruining the site for others. I have pinned 2 of your photos to a inspiration board called 'simple and pretty things'but have just this minute deleted them in respect of your decision. I do find your work so pretty and inspirational but would never copy anything or anyone else's for that matter. It so much more rewarding to be original. Love your work!

[Kelly Quin]

Lori...thought I'd leave a message here so I could delete that pin for you! Sorry it upset you! I just thought your stuff was darling! Thanks for bringing it to my attention! Take care! ~Kelly Q~

[lori marie]

you most certainly did not upset me. for the most part i am flattered that people want to pin my stuff...there are just a few people out there that are up to no good....that probably wouldn't have come across my work if they hadn't seen it on pinterest. people who have never been to my website who are just hunting for ideas so that they can make things for themselves.

i don't mean to imply that this scenario applies to everyone, but unfortunately blocking the pins is an all or nothing kind of thing and since i've had some issues with intellectual property theft in the past...it's a risk i just can't afford to take.

please don't think that i have any ill feelings about people who pin my images because they are simply fans of my work :)

[Dawn Buscher]

Rather than banning Pinterest have you thought about using a CC-Creative Commons license for all your work?

It's an alternative to traditional copywright. You can be creative and put your work out there but on your own terms...

http://creativecommons.org/

[Cascade]

I hadn't checked out your blog in a couple years (you used to be a 'favorite' of mine on Etsy) and this post just made me sad :( I'm sorry for all of your bad experiences (I think I read of one long ago, and likely there have been recent issues since I haven't been reading) that have made you 'gun shy'. It's too bad we can't just all share openly - fueling inspiration via great idea sites like Pinterest - and trust others' integrity!

[L]

You are selling things like dreamcatchers in your store, which is appropriation of Native American culture. I hope that if you are this concerned about your own intellectual property, you might consider respecting theirs.

[lori marie]

Since you have not included your name or email, I cannot address you properly or directly, but I would like to respond to your comment anyway...

While i appreciate your concern, my dreamcatchers are not in any way representative of the Native American culture ... they are simply inspired by the design. I am inspired by many cultures from around the globe as most artists and designers are and have been for centuries.

Intellectual property by definition refers to creations of the mind for which exclusive rights are recognized by the law. An individual person or culture cannot claim a general idea or concept as belonging solely to themselves. However, a particular construction or combination of elements and colors used to create an 'original design' is protected under copyright laws as original artwork and is thus considered the exclusive intellectual property of the creator.

If my designs are offensive to you in any way, I suggest that you not visit my store or my blog as it it not my intention to offend.

Kind Regards
Lori