Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. - Thomas Edison
Don't you love it when you follow the rules, follow your ethics, and try to maintain a level playing field, and STILL get kicked in the nads? We have assorted licenses. We fought to get them and keep them. We pay the royalties. We open our books every year for audits. We bust our butts to make money doing things the right way, and strive to build the business for all parties involved. Then we hear about two UN-licensed printers selling, not only in our market, but to customers we earned and served well. Our sales all but disappeared with this customer, while someone else was selling bootleg merchandise. This wasn't a few shirt here and there. The numbers I saw from the end buyer show a retail dollar amount of just north of $495,000. Those are sales we didn't have a chance to make. But I also know we WERE selling to the retailer until our sales dropped for some reason (hmmm?) They weren't our copyrighted design, so we have no recourse. I just hope that properties goes after them for the revenue (royalties) that they lost because of this. I'm usually not a vindictive person, but I hope someone puts the hurt on these two companies. It will do nothing to benefit us, but the knowledge that something happens would be nice. And yes, we know the two companies that sold the bootleg merchandise, and the retailer that was buying it. Well, back to making some honest money.
Half a million?!? I think you're remaining a hell of a lot calmer than I would be.
Quote from: tonypep on March 11, 2015, 11:14:27 AMMight want to drop a dime first Dave.Payphone reference.....
Might want to drop a dime first Dave.
Quote from: bimmridder on March 11, 2015, 11:04:01 AMDon't you love it when you follow the rules, follow your ethics, and try to maintain a level playing field, and STILL get kicked in the nads? We have assorted licenses. We fought to get them and keep them. We pay the royalties. We open our books every year for audits. We bust our butts to make money doing things the right way, and strive to build the business for all parties involved. Then we hear about two UN-licensed printers selling, not only in our market, but to customers we earned and served well. Our sales all but disappeared with this customer, while someone else was selling bootleg merchandise. This wasn't a few shirt here and there. The numbers I saw from the end buyer show a retail dollar amount of just north of $495,000. Those are sales we didn't have a chance to make. But I also know we WERE selling to the retailer until our sales dropped for some reason (hmmm?) They weren't our copyrighted design, so we have no recourse. I just hope that properties goes after them for the revenue (royalties) that they lost because of this. I'm usually not a vindictive person, but I hope someone puts the hurt on these two companies. It will do nothing to benefit us, but the knowledge that something happens would be nice. And yes, we know the two companies that sold the bootleg merchandise, and the retailer that was buying it. Well, back to making some honest money.All I could add is that you kept to your standards, and can sleep at night. That's priceless.