This is a question I get asked a lot by fellow home sewers like me who want to make some money doing something they LOVE – i.e. making soft toys! So I created this web page to explain my Copyright Policy and Terms of Use, especially relating to selling items made using the Funky Friends Factory sewing patterns.
If you want to use the Funky Friends Factory sewing patterns to make toys to sell this page contains ALL the information you need about the copyright terms and conditions for making Funky Friends toys for sale.
When I started, I followed the copyright of the larger pattern companies, (like Simplicity, Butterick and Vogue) so my policy was NOT to allow the resale of items produced from my patterns without exception! BUT later on I changed my mind because I felt it would be alright to let people sell a few if they made them, themselves, as this can hardly be considered as mass-producing them! Since then I have a lot of Funky Friends Factory customers who are using my toy sewing patterns to make and sell Funky Friends toys they have made. This is a Korina’s Kreations stand at a local craft market.
So, if you would also like to use the Funk Friends Factory toy sewing patterns to make Funky Friends toys to sell, either to make a bit of money for yourself or to raise funds for a Charity please read the Copyright Policy, Terms of use and the examples I have below, to see how you CAN use the patterns for these purposes!
Funky Friends Factory Copyright:
®© 070630 Copyright Protection Services International.
Copyright © 2021 Funky Friends Factory.
The Funky Friends Factory patterns, concepts and logo are protected by international copyright protection: It is acceptable to make these toys yourself for personal use and gifts. It is acceptable to make these toys yourself to sell in limited numbers if the toy is labeled/tagged ‘Made from a Funky Friends Factory pattern’. If you are selling the toys online – EACH online listing/Social Media post MUST state that the toy is made from a Funky Friends Factory Pattern. It is unacceptable to mass-produce the toys or to reproduce the patterns.
I have faith that you will respect the long hours and creativity that has gone into producing the Funky Friends Factory patterns.
Many thanks,
Pauline.
Funky Friends Factory COPYRIGHT POLICY – Terms and Conditions of use:
(What you can and can’t do with the Funky Friends Factory designs!)
- The Funky Friends Factory patterns are intended for use, by the individual person purchasing the pattern, and cannot be used for mass-production in any form. So if you want to sell the toys to make some money for yourself, I am happy for you to do this if you make them yourself from start to finish, and in limited numbers. I believe that, whether you sew them by hand or sewing machine, you’d hardly be able to call this mass-producing the toys!
- It is UNACCEPTABLE to mass-produce the toys or to reproduce the patterns. (I have faith that you will respect the long hours and creative energy that I have put into producing my Funky Friends Factory patterns.)
- It is ACCEPTABLE to make these toys yourself, for personal use and gifts, or to sell in limited numbers, if the toy is labelled or tagged ‘Made from a Funky Friends Factory pattern’.
- If you are selling the toys online(eg Etsy,Facebook etc) EACH online listing/Social Media post MUST state that the toy is ‘made using a Funky Friends Factory Pattern’.
Example of selling toys with labels/tags at a market stall:
Here is an example of some very cute Gertie Gecko toys made by Sew Softies which have been labelled with a tag which says they are made using a Funky Friends Factory pattern.
Example of selling toys made from my toy sewing patterns on Etsy:
Here is an example of an Etsy Listing with the pattern credit by Gail, of Bright Life Toys, who is making Funky Friends toys using her gorgeous rainbow, hand-dyed organic bamboo velour. I have highlighted in yellow where she has included the credit in her listing – thanks, Gail! 
Example of posting toys for sale, made from my toy sewing patterns, on Facebook:
Here is an example of a Facebook post with the pattern credit by Haley of Making Mini Memories, who is making Funky Friends Factory toys to sell which she is making from children’s baby clothes to create a special memento/memory toy! I have highlighted in yellow where she has included the credit in her post – thanks, Haley!
Perhaps you want to sell a few toys for a charity?
Anytime you sell items made from the Funky Friends Factory sewing patterns this is COMMERCIAL USE and the the copyright still applies! 🙂 So it is perfectly acceptable to make or sell the toys in limited numbers for fundraising for your favourite charity, and once again, ALL I would ask is that the toys you sell are labelled or tagged ‘Made from a Funky Friends Factory pattern’.
Maybe you are wanting to sell a LARGE number of toys for charity purposes?
For example, if you are part of a large group or collective sewing for charity and you will be wanting to sell heaps of toys – please take a look at the Funky Friends Factory Billion Bears Charity Drive »
…and if you want to get involved with this, please let me know the name of the charity and how many bears you’ve made – we have a long way to go!!!! 
Whew!
I think that explains most case scenarios BUT if you have any further questions about my copyright policy laid out above, please use the form on the Contact Us Page to drop me an email with your query.
One more thing….
Why should you bother to follow my copyright guidelines?
Well, being in breach of copyright is a serious offence with legal and even financial consequences, should I decide to track you down…. no seriously… MOST people don’t realise that I am just a home sewer like them trying to make a living from my passion and I am not a HUGE company and I certainly don’t like the idea of tracking people down and suing them! My Copyright Policy does not require much effort and no expense for toy sellers, it is simply about asking that other businesses give credit for the hours of work I have put in over the years to create designs that are cute and sell-able and able to make them MONEY!!!! 🙂 People forget that I also need to earn a living… if I can’t earn a living… that means no more new Funky Friends Toy Sewing Patterns!!! Adding a credit/label won’t decrease your sales! People who want to BUY home made toys will still buy from you and people who want to SEW their own homemade toys might come and buy my toy sewing patterns because they found out about my patterns from you! These are 2 very different markets so we are actually working together to get more sales for both of us! It is fun working together and I love to support and promote people who do the same for me!!!! I think that this is a win-win situation for both of us!
I trust you’ll do what’s right, so I’ll just say ‘Thank you’, in advance!
Happy Sewing,
Pauline
