ffq-lar Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I had classes last week where marking the fabric with pleasing designs was the focus. Our instructor brought over 300 of her stencils for us to use. We had two days of instruction and the third day was for anything we needed help with. On the last day a student brought a huge roll of paper and proceeded to COPY every stencil. I was appalled. How inappropriate to use class time to steal designs. And yes, I consider it stealing. She also commandeered whole groups of stencils so no one else could use them until she had copied them all. I'm not a timid person--heh heh. I needed a border design and not really realizing what she was doing, I started flipping through the big pile she had on her table. She was a bit sheepish and said she would be done with them soon. I told her I would return them when I had finished with them. Then I up-front asked her what she was doing. She told me she couldn't pass up such a great opportunity to "build her library of stencil designs". I was flabbergasted! I asked her if the instructor had OKed that obvious copyright infringement she was doing. She knew what she was doing was completely wrong and had the decency to be a bit rattled when she said that the instructor had walked by several times and hadn't said anything to her. I guess she took that as an OK. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt and calling it a lapse in judgement. Several others thought what she was doing was wrong and did consider it stealing. And I talked to others who didn't think it was wrong at all. Hmmmm.... Any thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
micajah Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 You are not overreacting! If the instructor had said to everyone, please feel free to copy my work, it would have been ok, but she didn't. That woman was/is a thief. Do not invite her over to visit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I think she should have asked first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I agree with you. It is one thing to "borrow" stencils in a class to mark a project but to mark all of then on paper just to steal the designs. I think the teacher should have told her that was unacceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanie Rouse Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Certainly copyright infringement. Sadly, the public is so uninformed about what is right and wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 i think she should have asked permission, which would have given the instructor an opportunity to set the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peglu Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I agree with you 100% Linda. This is stealing. This is the kind of behavior that makes my blood boil. Everyone feels so much entitlement to anything they want. Stencils are really not that expensive to buy. I'm sure if she can afford to take those wonderful classes, she can afford to buy her own stencils. Some peoples children! :mad: Peggy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraJ Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I agree with you but it's on the instructor. Me...I guess I'm a little more "ballsy" and would have gone to the instructor and told her that the student was copying the stencils, it was an infringement and unfair to the instructor and the other students. I would have asked the instructor to make her stop so that the stencils were available for everyone else. That might have given the instructor the impetus or support she may have needed to stop that woman. Maybe send an email to the instructor to voice your support that this doesn't happen in any of her other classes. It wasn't a lapse in judgement on the other woman's part. She knew exactly what she was doing and she got away with it. Karma aint' fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaLKB Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Of course, she knew what she was doing...........she planned ahead and brought a roll of paper for the purpose of copying those stencils. I'm surprised the teacher didn't say anything to her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 It's not a lapse in judgment. It was out-and-out stealing. I'm assuming that the instructor did not personally design each and every one of the stencils that were brought to class? If so, they were not the instructor's to give. Perhaps to share for teaching purposes in allowing students to use them to design a project, but not for copying and adding to someone else's design library. As most of you know, I've never been known to mince words. I would have swooped the pile up and told her to put her papers in the trash. I would have made sure she did not leave with them. If she wanted to add those designs to her library, she could purchase them for herself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltingjoyful51 Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 It hurts inside when someone steals something and you don't know who it was but to do it in public in front of others. Man I wonder. How very sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WestieMom Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 You're perfectly justified in how you feel. The student who did this was wrong. The teacher should have stepped in and stopped the student from copying the stencils, not to mention that she was tying up the materials so that no one else could use them. A nicely worded note to the instructor would keep this from happening again. If this student can afford to buy the paper to trace these designs on then she can afford to buy stencils. IMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Originally posted by LauraJ I agree with you but it's on the instructor. Me...I guess I'm a little more "ballsy" and would have gone to the instructor and told her that the student was copying the stencils, it was an infringement and unfair to the instructor and the other students. I would have asked the instructor to make her stop so that the stencils were available for everyone else. That might have given the instructor the impetus or support she may have needed to stop that woman. Maybe send an email to the instructor to voice your support that this doesn't happen in any of her other classes. Tutors don't always spot everything that is going on, although I think this should have been fairly obvious. Had I been the tutor you would already have had the copyright lecture and been told where to buy the stencils. I would have wanted to know about something like this happening. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delld Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 She may have a stack of stencils but she really missed the great her day to use what she "learned" the two days before and lost the assistance from a wonderful teacher for a day. She lost more than she gained. Not to mention how others will think of her when she walks in to another class with them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted June 11, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Thanks for all the input. Yes, the stencils were owned by the instructor--all purchased from many different sources. Yes, we got the copyright talk during the lecture part of the class. The handbook was loaded on a CD and she asked us to not share the CD or lend/give away/copy it for anyone else, thank you very much. The teacher was very savvy but also generous. My take on this is she didn't want to make a stink in front of everyone and maybe she just mentally shrugged and figured it wasn't worth a fight and loss of possible future income for her from repeat students. What a fine line instructors must walk! Helping each eager student finish with a head full of ideas and a want for more--and keeping the unruly ones, the rude ones, the needy ones, and the uninspired ones quiet so the rest of us could learn. Sounds like every public schoolteacher's goal, doesn't it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Hide the silver and lock away the watches and rings if she ever comes to visit! I agree, she didn't want to make a stink. I taught a class once where there was an unusual lady. When I got everyone started I went over to her to gently nudge her in the right direction. She got pipped at that and folded up her wares and just sat and fumed for the rest of the morning. That is exactly what your instructor was trying to avoid. When she left the other ladies gathered around me and said she does this kind of thing all the time so not to worry!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibbyG Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 No, Linda, you weren't overreacting. In fact, I'm glad you went and took the stencils you needed. Even if the teacher didn't want to make a scene, she should have said that other people need the stencils and she couldn't take them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Linda S Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Yes, the stencils were owned by the instructor--all purchased from many different sources. That's what I mean - the instructor had to pay to purchase those designs. And, just think of the people who created those designs. They earn part of their living from selling those stencils. Harumph! I have a substantial stencil collection myself. Now that I've got the IQ, I've thought about selling them, but there are times when it's just easy to grab an old trusty standby and go for it. Plus (don't tell anybody) I love tracing stencils with my machine -- I know, sick, eh? I think you're right. Your instructor didn't want to raise a fuss, but I'll bet she's circulating an email similar to this among her friends, asking if they can imagine that anyone would have the gall to do such a thing, and she'll most likely not forget the face of the woman who did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IQ'd Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I don't think you overreacted. I think the instructor should have nipped it in the bud. If these stealers get caught the word might get around. I know the instructor relies on her classes for income but so do the designers of those stencils. The instructor could have talked to her privately and told her she couldn't do what she was doing, please stop and that she could not take what she had traced with her. She should have been told she could use them only for her project and only in class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyce Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 darn Linda you should have hit her over the head will the roll of paper and told her bad girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Personally, I think it is up to all of us individually to police, not just leave it up to the instructor (or authorities). The instructor was put in a bad position if she had to be the one to handle the situation all by herself. If more peer pressure were out there, then many people would make better choices and certainly not steal like that. And for her to hog all the stencils and trace them, I'm surprised more feathers weren't ruffled and more comments made to her by women wanting to use a stencil. That was a very rude thing she did but I'm a believer of karma. What goes around, you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Oh goodness. Where are people's ethics? Manners, respect and ettiquette? Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, this student should have asked for permission to do this in advance. The student might have been clueless with regards to use of copyright designs, even though she got the "copyright talk" the day before. Maybe that talk went right over her head....perhaps she wasn't listening and was too busy thinking to herself that she needs to bring her big roll of tracing paper from home tomorrow.... LOL Anyway, let's just say that laws are there for following, and not everyone obeys the laws. And sure some people will go to great lengths to steal things, even though they know it's wrong. You did the right thing stepping in and mentioning this to that gal and told her that what she was doing was disrespectful and crossing the line with copyright infringment. Maybe she learned a lesson and will think about what you said every time she uses her stack of illegally obtained stencils... :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraJ Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh Shana, I love your positive outlook and your kind heart. Ya think she'll feel guilty when she uses that paper with the copied stencils on it - doubt it. I agree with Bonnie, either someone say something to let the instructor know she has support to stop this woman or as a fellow student, try like Linda did to call the woman's conscience into reality. Obviously this woman doesn't have a very active conscience and is selfish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bekah Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 What a sticky situation for the instructor and for all the students who knew what she was doing. I kind of feel sorry for her if she knew it was wrong and did it anyway. I wouldn't want to live with that burden every time I used a stencil. Makes me mad just reading about what happened. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarieBrewer Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Perhaps she will come to her senses when she realizes there is nothing like a "real, laser cut stencil. It's impossible to cut one as exact as nice as a professionally cut one so maybe she will never use close to half of them. You gave her pause, so maybe she will think twice about it before she pulls a trick like that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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