This will help you not to "accidentally" purchase illegal designs online.
1. Stay Away from Popular Characters. Disney is pretty particular about their designs and not just anyone can sell them. Best to purchase them from an actual dealer, as in getting in your car and driving to your sewing center. From what has been told if you buy illegal designs (even accidentally) Disney may seize your machine. But use common sense for all Popular Logos and Trademark characters, it’s not just Disney Characters that are being sold illegally. So Buy From Local Dealer, Not Online!!
2. Don’t fall for the Mega Amount of Designs on a CD. Most likely they are illegal.(We have all seen the people selling cd’s with tons of Popular Characters on them) With a purchase like this, usually your mega amount results in a few different designs with the rest being the same ones in different colors? What’s up with that, they don’t think when we sew them out we don’t know how to pick the colors we want to use? This is obviously a Scam All these Popular Names at low low low Prices! You don’t have to be a genius to figure that one out.
3. If you see Lots of sellers with the Exact Same designs, then you should know something is up. Not everyone can sale Disney designs. So just skip those listings.
4. Check to see if the seller has a website. But of course they wouldn’t be selling any of the above. Illegal sellers have websites too, just check them out. No Popular Characters!!! You can ask what company has those designs and if it is Disney it is usually Brother. So buy from a Brother dealer near you.
5. Buy only Original Machine Cards or Design CD’s. Brand New Unopened is the most secure.This applies to the brand name designs. Some small digitizers (me included) may not have ways to make a so called "factory sealed" cd of their designs but can still sell their designs on a cd. That's ok but say you want The Peanuts designs, you should get a Brand New factory sealed cd or buy from your local dealer.
6. Seriously, Disney characters are not sold for $2.99 a set, that is a big clue they are illegal. Disney does go after copyright violators fierosiously.
7. If in doubt always Buy from your local dealer's Store & Not Online Don’t forget you can always ask other’s for recommendations of trust worthy sellers.
I know it can be frustrating and we all want a deal but just think if the so called “Deal” is worth legal damage, big trouble and possible seizure of your expensive machine and supplies. There is always a record of what you purchase some where like everything else in this world that is recorded and tracked. Please purchase with caution.
