We often receive emails from websites doing design contests or companies trying to produce a figure by soliciting for designs. I had just thought this one sounded a little fishy. And after David Horvath posted that they were using Bossy Bear without his permission, it made me even more skeptical.
You'll REALLY want to check out the Terms of Submission!
By submitting your design, you also agree that PatchTogether may use
your design for future advertising or promotion on and off the internet.
Upon
submission, you may not use, submit or sell the same Design or
derivatives of the Design in any forms for commercial use for a period
of ninety (90) days. If you intend to use it before ninety (90) days,
you have to notify PatchTogether for an early withdraw. Once the ninety
(90) days have passed, if your Design is not selected as a winner, you
are free to use the Design for any purpose. In order to do so, you have
to notify PatchTogether to remove the design for future competition
consideration.
If your design wins the competition, you will
be notified by email. The reward will be stated on the relevant
competition section. Reward may vary in PatchTogether’s discretion.
Payment will be sent within ninety (90) days after PatchTogether
receives hi-resolution artwork suitable for manufacturing.
If
you design wins the competition, then you automatically assign
PatchTogether all exclusive rights to the design. You shall not sell or
use the design or the derivate of the design for any commerical purpose
without the expressed written consent of PatchTogether. You are also
acknowlege that you waive all "moral" rights that you may have in and
to your Design. PatchTogether might use or alter your design in any
manner.
Put all of the typos and grammatical errors aside (we all can make them, right?). So...if you win, they own the design and can create toys, t-shirts, coasters, video games, etc. and you'll receive $500 plus "5% of the commissions made off of the sale of your toys". And what does that mean? I'm guessing a 5% commission...but if they are a middle-man and will be receiving 95% of the commissions while you get 5%, that would definitely change things. Either way...always read the fine print!
kudos for this post, Brian! well done 🙂
kudos for this post, Brian! well done 🙂
In response to above, please give us a chance to clear some things up:
1. 5% of the commission is on total sales, not total profit! We are also doing the manufacturing, marketing and sales. The winning design will be manufactured by our factory but at this point we do not have all the logistics worked out. I don’t think any business can make 95% profit margin on the products they produce. The more we sell the more money the artists will make. I know $500 is not too much money, but we are just getting started and hopefully, this can get us going. If things go well we look forward to increasing the prize money and commission. Below is a chart of prize incentives from various reputable T-shirts design sites to show that we are not out to scam artists. We searched hard but was unsuccessful in finding similar figures for toy designing sites. If you know of any, please give us shout.
Threadless: $2000 cash, a $200 12 Club membership, a $500 Threadless Gift Certificate
La Fraise: 1000 euros
Frenchloser: 2 euros per shirt, up to 1000 euros total
Uneetee: $1000 monthly prize or $2 per shirt sold for designs that don't win
Without Pockets: $750 cash, $750 voucher to Without Pockets
Design By Humans: $750 Shirt of the Day prize
A Better Tomorrow: 500 euros
Gorilla Tank: 300 pounds cash, 120 pounds store credit
Scribtee: Up to $500 and a $50 gift certificate
PatchTogether: $500 +5% total sales
T-Shirt Hell: $500 and 10 shirts for an idea
Split the Atom: 250 pounds cash
Random Shirts: Win $500 cash if your design wins
Inspire Brand: $350 cash
SplitReason: $250 and a shirt with your design
ThinkGeek: $250 for a t-shirt suggestion or $500 for complete, finished artwork
Nerdy Shirts: T-shirt designs will win you $250 if selected, slogans can win you $50
No Star: $200 and some shirts
Teetonic: 100 pounds cash, 50p per shirt sold
Powerup Tees: $200 for funny video game shirts
Scribbled Rhythm: 100 pounds and a free shirt
Busted Tees: $150 for an idea they decide to use
Keydon: $100 and a free shirt if they use your vintage shirt idea
Old Crappy Tee: $100 cash, $100 merchandise
Tshrt.com: 50 pounds
Snorg Tees: $100 and a free shirt
Social Propaganda: $50 and a free sample
Nuda Tees: Earn $2 per shirt sold
StyleTax: Your shirt, two shirts of your choice and 1 euro per shirt sold
2. As previously mentioned, PatchTogether is a brand new site that is learning as we go along. We read through many submission policies from various design sites to get a good idea of what is fair and acceptable. Our submission policy is very similar to Threadless.com’s. Here is their term of submission: (you can read the full detail on http://www.threadless.com/submit/design and click on Legal Terms)
“If your Design is selected for use by Threadless.com, you acknowledge that you assign to skinnyCorp LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereinafter collectively "Threadless.com") the entire right, title, and interest in and to the copyright in your Design including the right to sue for past infringement and the right to further sublicense the Design, for its sole and exclusive use on and in connection with the Items. You also acknowledge that you waive all "moral" rights that you may have in and to your Design.”
Indeed, all the T-shirts design contest websites have similar terms for submission. It is how we can protect our investment and make sure other companies are not making and selling the same products.
3. In regards to David Horvath’s Bossy bear image, we have already apologized for our inexcusable mistake of not researching the design’s origin. The image was found and applied by our Web Company who gave us the impression that it was a stock photo. It was completely our fault and we want the community to know it will not happen again.
If there are any further questions or concerns, please let us know, support@patchtogether.com
Thanks
In response to above, please give us a chance to clear some things up:
1. 5% of the commission is on total sales, not total profit! We are also doing the manufacturing, marketing and sales. The winning design will be manufactured by our factory but at this point we do not have all the logistics worked out. I don’t think any business can make 95% profit margin on the products they produce. The more we sell the more money the artists will make. I know $500 is not too much money, but we are just getting started and hopefully, this can get us going. If things go well we look forward to increasing the prize money and commission. Below is a chart of prize incentives from various reputable T-shirts design sites to show that we are not out to scam artists. We searched hard but was unsuccessful in finding similar figures for toy designing sites. If you know of any, please give us shout.
Threadless: $2000 cash, a $200 12 Club membership, a $500 Threadless Gift Certificate
La Fraise: 1000 euros
Frenchloser: 2 euros per shirt, up to 1000 euros total
Uneetee: $1000 monthly prize or $2 per shirt sold for designs that don't win
Without Pockets: $750 cash, $750 voucher to Without Pockets
Design By Humans: $750 Shirt of the Day prize
A Better Tomorrow: 500 euros
Gorilla Tank: 300 pounds cash, 120 pounds store credit
Scribtee: Up to $500 and a $50 gift certificate
PatchTogether: $500 +5% total sales
T-Shirt Hell: $500 and 10 shirts for an idea
Split the Atom: 250 pounds cash
Random Shirts: Win $500 cash if your design wins
Inspire Brand: $350 cash
SplitReason: $250 and a shirt with your design
ThinkGeek: $250 for a t-shirt suggestion or $500 for complete, finished artwork
Nerdy Shirts: T-shirt designs will win you $250 if selected, slogans can win you $50
No Star: $200 and some shirts
Teetonic: 100 pounds cash, 50p per shirt sold
Powerup Tees: $200 for funny video game shirts
Scribbled Rhythm: 100 pounds and a free shirt
Busted Tees: $150 for an idea they decide to use
Keydon: $100 and a free shirt if they use your vintage shirt idea
Old Crappy Tee: $100 cash, $100 merchandise
Tshrt.com: 50 pounds
Snorg Tees: $100 and a free shirt
Social Propaganda: $50 and a free sample
Nuda Tees: Earn $2 per shirt sold
StyleTax: Your shirt, two shirts of your choice and 1 euro per shirt sold
2. As previously mentioned, PatchTogether is a brand new site that is learning as we go along. We read through many submission policies from various design sites to get a good idea of what is fair and acceptable. Our submission policy is very similar to Threadless.com’s. Here is their term of submission: (you can read the full detail on http://www.threadless.com/submit/design and click on Legal Terms)
“If your Design is selected for use by Threadless.com, you acknowledge that you assign to skinnyCorp LLC and its subsidiaries and affiliates (hereinafter collectively "Threadless.com") the entire right, title, and interest in and to the copyright in your Design including the right to sue for past infringement and the right to further sublicense the Design, for its sole and exclusive use on and in connection with the Items. You also acknowledge that you waive all "moral" rights that you may have in and to your Design.”
Indeed, all the T-shirts design contest websites have similar terms for submission. It is how we can protect our investment and make sure other companies are not making and selling the same products.
3. In regards to David Horvath’s Bossy bear image, we have already apologized for our inexcusable mistake of not researching the design’s origin. The image was found and applied by our Web Company who gave us the impression that it was a stock photo. It was completely our fault and we want the community to know it will not happen again.
If there are any further questions or concerns, please let us know, support@patchtogether.com
Thanks
The whole part about them not knowing who Bossy Bear is speaks volumes. Would you want to work with a company that had never heard of Dunnys? Sounds fishy!
The whole part about them not knowing who Bossy Bear is speaks volumes. Would you want to work with a company that had never heard of Dunnys? Sounds fishy!
This website goes against the VERY SPIRIT of the art toy movement. Making their case by using those awful tee shirt scammer sites is beyond pathetic.
Toy designs can be worth millions of dollars! And character IP can be worth 100x that.
Can you imagine?
Shame shame shame on these awful people!
This website goes against the VERY SPIRIT of the art toy movement. Making their case by using those awful tee shirt scammer sites is beyond pathetic.
Toy designs can be worth millions of dollars! And character IP can be worth 100x that.
Can you imagine?
Shame shame shame on these awful people!