Doctor Who and Knitting
Well, it seems like the word is spreading about Mazzmatazz's order from the BBC to pull all of her Doctor Who-related patterns.
I know that I've written to both the Brand Protection Team (at BBC Worldwide Ltd.) and the Doctor Who Branding group (which was an address that was given to me when I submitted email feedback to the BBC). I keep thinking that either folks should be able to distribute inspired patterns so long as no one is profiting from them (and it is those that try profiting from them that should be shut down) or the BBC should get their act together and allow someone to publish inspired patterns in the same way that Alison Hansel was able to get Charmed Knits published.
It makes me even madder to see that people are still using, up until 4 days ago, Mazz's pattern to sell knitted objects from it. And that one of the most flagrant offenders hasn't been banned from eBay (this person also tried to sell Mazz's pattern to people. GRRRR).
I don't know what else to do, and the fuss has driven a lot of other fabulous patterns "underground". It makes me sad that others that are a little late to the game won't be able to easily find and create their own treasured items from fan-created patterns. Who fandom is a little lesser because of a few bad apples that forced BBC to act.
*sigh*
ETA: Just to let you know, this is what I've done so far. This doesn't count the half-dozen times I've reported to eBay some idiot for attempting to sell either a knitted object from Mazz's pattern or attempting to sell the pattern itself.
1. I went to the BBC website and provided feedback. Go to BBC’s Doctor Who website and go to the bottom of the page, on the right. There is a link that says “Contact Us”. If you click the link and scroll to the very bottom, you should see a contact form there. I have sent my own complaint via that form. I also sent an email to the anti-piracy group (their email is on that Contact Us page if you scroll and read).
This is the substance of my message:
"Hello! I would like to write a letter to the BBC Brand Protection Team, in order to appeal to the BBC to allow fans to distribute knitted patterns inspired by Doctor Who. Over the past few weeks, many of the fans have stopped creating and distributing patterns based on the recent Doctor Who creature, the Adipose, along with many other Who-inspired items. This has lead to a great deal of disappointment to the community and a disillusionment for many fans, as there are no merchandise currently available. Fans feel that their creativity is being suppressed by preventing the NONCOMMERCIAL distribution of a pattern for a creature that we saw and loved.
The patterns were created by fans for their personal enjoyment and their NONCOMMERCIAL distribution was so that others could make their own, for their own personal enjoyment. It is in the same league as using instructions from the Blue Peter website to make a model of the TARDIS interior.
Please reconsider the decisions that have been made to stop the distribution of NONCOMMERCIAL versions of fanmade items inspired by Doctor Who.
Thank you."
2. They wrote back and provided the address below.
Doctor Who Branding
Broadcast House
Llantrisant Road
Cardiff
CF5 2YQ
UK
I also did a bit of a search for the location of the Brand Protection Team. I discovered that they are located at BBC Worldwide:
BBC Worldwide Ltd Woodlands
80 Wood Lane
London
W12 0TT
UK
3. I wrote handwritten letters to both of the addresses, essentially with the substance of the email that I wrote along with suggestions pointing to Charmed Knits as a way to engage the fans positively.
I know that I've written to both the Brand Protection Team (at BBC Worldwide Ltd.) and the Doctor Who Branding group (which was an address that was given to me when I submitted email feedback to the BBC). I keep thinking that either folks should be able to distribute inspired patterns so long as no one is profiting from them (and it is those that try profiting from them that should be shut down) or the BBC should get their act together and allow someone to publish inspired patterns in the same way that Alison Hansel was able to get Charmed Knits published.
It makes me even madder to see that people are still using, up until 4 days ago, Mazz's pattern to sell knitted objects from it. And that one of the most flagrant offenders hasn't been banned from eBay (this person also tried to sell Mazz's pattern to people. GRRRR).
I don't know what else to do, and the fuss has driven a lot of other fabulous patterns "underground". It makes me sad that others that are a little late to the game won't be able to easily find and create their own treasured items from fan-created patterns. Who fandom is a little lesser because of a few bad apples that forced BBC to act.
*sigh*
ETA: Just to let you know, this is what I've done so far. This doesn't count the half-dozen times I've reported to eBay some idiot for attempting to sell either a knitted object from Mazz's pattern or attempting to sell the pattern itself.
1. I went to the BBC website and provided feedback. Go to BBC’s Doctor Who website and go to the bottom of the page, on the right. There is a link that says “Contact Us”. If you click the link and scroll to the very bottom, you should see a contact form there. I have sent my own complaint via that form. I also sent an email to the anti-piracy group (their email is on that Contact Us page if you scroll and read).
This is the substance of my message:
"Hello! I would like to write a letter to the BBC Brand Protection Team, in order to appeal to the BBC to allow fans to distribute knitted patterns inspired by Doctor Who. Over the past few weeks, many of the fans have stopped creating and distributing patterns based on the recent Doctor Who creature, the Adipose, along with many other Who-inspired items. This has lead to a great deal of disappointment to the community and a disillusionment for many fans, as there are no merchandise currently available. Fans feel that their creativity is being suppressed by preventing the NONCOMMERCIAL distribution of a pattern for a creature that we saw and loved.
The patterns were created by fans for their personal enjoyment and their NONCOMMERCIAL distribution was so that others could make their own, for their own personal enjoyment. It is in the same league as using instructions from the Blue Peter website to make a model of the TARDIS interior.
Please reconsider the decisions that have been made to stop the distribution of NONCOMMERCIAL versions of fanmade items inspired by Doctor Who.
Thank you."
2. They wrote back and provided the address below.
Doctor Who Branding
Broadcast House
Llantrisant Road
Cardiff
CF5 2YQ
UK
I also did a bit of a search for the location of the Brand Protection Team. I discovered that they are located at BBC Worldwide:
BBC Worldwide Ltd Woodlands
80 Wood Lane
London
W12 0TT
UK
3. I wrote handwritten letters to both of the addresses, essentially with the substance of the email that I wrote along with suggestions pointing to Charmed Knits as a way to engage the fans positively.