FAQ: Concerning The Commercial Use Of Patterns
What Does COMMERCIAL USE Mean?
Commercial use of our patterns means if you make a physical product made from our patterns, or even derived from them, and you part with it in any manner in which currency changes hands, this is commercial use.What are the TERMS for selling a commercial product?
At this time we require one digital pattern product purchase per instance of commercial use. See below for information regarding volume discounts. We’re always looking at ways to make this process more convenient for sellers and to provide additional value. More on that soon as new features are developed on the back end of the site.
Can I Make Products for FRIENDS & FAMILY?
Alright, so you bought a helmet pattern, and now little Timmy wants one. Do you have to buy another one? The short answer is no, as long as it is personal use and there is some attribution (credit) this is generally fine. If your friends and family network extends to the 8th degree of Kevin Bacon – and suddenly has a suit of fantasy armor… well, we might need to have a little talk… but in general, the spirit of this arrangement is: I want everyone who buys our content to get value from it, and I’m not trying to nickel and dime anyone to death.
The thing that changes this dynamic is when money is changing hands. (IE Commercial Use) If you are selling work created from the patterns in whole or in part then it becomes a commercial matter and I would hope that the effort invested in these designs is appreciated enough to warrant a small portion to cover the design fee because that is an additional value provided to you as a commercial entity. And the only way other than legal action we can be compensated by that is if you voluntarily purchase another unit on the honor system. One unit = one commercial license. Get in touch if you intend to sell in volume and desire a discount. Attribution is not strictly mandatory but is generally considered good form.
What about VOLUME production?
If you plan to produce a larger volume and you want to work out a more formal arrangement with volume discounts please get in touch and we can discuss the matter on a case by case basis.
Can I SELL your patterns?
Not directly. But, there is now an affiliate program available. So you can make an account and get an automatic cut of any sales you refer. If you are an influencer, have a storefront, or other business interest, and would like to sell our products directly you’ll have to get in touch and we’ll discuss it on a case by case basis.
Can I SHARE your patterns?
To prevent abuse, the simple answer here has to be no. I know full well there will be some who share the pattern with their friends and I’m not going to go chasing people down unless the scale of the problem becomes too large to ignore.
What about OTHER scenarios?
Obviously, this list does not cover every contingency and is meant to help you understand the general guidelines. Some may see the lack of a scary legal document as a free lunch opportunity – so to prevent abuse, it should be understood that our works and designs are copyrighted and are protected by law. And in cases of egregious abuse, legal action may be pursued. Use your best judgment, and understand the spirit of the terms outlined here which I hope is clearly understood to be: “Let’s work together so everyone wins.”
Voluntary Compliance
Ideally, we want to create a system of voluntary compliance for those who wish to use our patterns. So we’re going for a carrot first approach. Those who are voluntarily compliant from the start will be taking part in loyalty rewards and receive other perks and additional access to designs and techniques. And those who are not, will generally swiftly be called out by the crafting and cosplay communities who are familiar with Prince Armory designs. We will be increasing our efforts to help makers and entrepreneurs to achieve success in their endeavors with knowledge and more designs and how-to content.