When I opened my online shop choosing
a print on demand service was a decision I did not take lightly, and I have met artists
that don't take the question of what the terms and conditions are particularly seriously
and they can get themselves into all kinds of trouble down the road.
Firstly pricing, I have a limit to how much I can control
the price, and the price my print on demand company charges
is I admit rather high.
However I know that the production facility is located in the United States
and thus have a reasonable expectation that my intellectual property will
be better protected, and can (as a patriotic American) honestly say that
when my artwork does sell it's my fellow Americans who see a chance to earn money.
I have dealt with this company both as a customer and a seller,
and while the way they handle licensing was key in my deciding
to use them to run my shop
(and continuing to) I have also experienced first hand their excellent
customer service. Since my focus in what I do is almost 100% on my
artwork, and other creative aspects
of what I am doing and I have absolutely no orientation towards nor skill
with customer service I consider it important that any 3rd party's I use
the service of to help create and ship my products
have good customer service.
Most of the products I have had experience with from my print on
demand company have been of reasonably good quality as well, or
at the very least I can honestly say that I have actually bought
products from them that took years to fall apart that would would
destroy (and actually have destroyed) other things inside of a
few months. I can't say for sure about all of their products,
but I can say that about several items I have purchased through
them in the past.
Also licensing issues I have seen will range from companies being governed
by the laws of other countries that are less than respectful of
intellectual property, to licenses directly precluding me taking
my artwork and doing something else with a different company at a
later date with my designs, and issues around weather or not the
license is requires they pay royalties or not.
When I originally started with my current print on demand another feature
that was helpful was their market place, however since they have changed
their terms of service related to the market place, and also taken much
more control than I am okay giving them in doing so I have opted not to
sell any of my designs on
through their market place. So unless and until they reconsider their terms
of service my designs have
become exclusive to my shop.
I have had run ins with artists who don't think about the legal and business
side of anything they are doing with their artwork
at all either ever, or until it's to late and unfortunately those are people I think could very
easily have a lot of regret later on.
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