Hi everyone. In the past few months some of you have brought to my attention that SKS Books has been selling iphone cases with some of my designs on them. I did not have time to pursue this matter for the past few months but a couple of my good friends finally helped me send an email to the bookstore today. Someone from SKS called back and informed me that they had apparently got it from a China supplier who says it was ‘sufficiently modified and does not infringe copyright’. Whatever manner of BS this is I don’t even need to elaborate further. He declined to allow me to contact the supplier. How much truth there is to this I will also not pursue further.
They offered to pay some form of royalty compensation, and I offered to take whatever they are willing to give out of their profit, which comes up to estimated 70 cents per cover (right). (“Normally royalty fee is 10% of profit.” I was told.) So at this rate I should be ‘happy’ to receive all of what, $50 if I’m fortunate when it’s not as if I willingly signed away these rights to begin with. I was also curtly informed that the cases are not selling well and they will be slashing prices for them while my friends (who highlighted the case to me) informed me that the cases were ‘fairly popular’. Subjective, again, so I shall not comment further. When I casually mentioned that I was actually intending to sell my designs as cases myself but had not found a supplier, I got a mildly sarcastic reply that went along the lines of “Well, just to let you know, they’re not selling very well anyway.” Thanks. I’m not surprised because my design has been butchered, placed on a gradient background of colors I would never use and studded with cheap shiny tacky things. Just FYI, changing colors of a design does not mean you do not infringe copyright.
I’m not pursing the issue any further and will take whatever they give me on the account that they have said they will no longer sell the cases after this current batch. Apparently the supplier has another batch (with another verse) with them on consignment which they say they will return. Whoever this supplier is, God bless your soul and thanks for being the reason why designers and illustrators put devastating watermarks all over their images.
Since doing this calendar in 2011, I’ve received almost a hundred requests throughout the year to bring it back into print. Unfortunately time and I haven’t been negotiating with each other very well, so I’ve put it off for far too long.
Have finally sent them off to the printers, and don’t worry, they have been modified to include 29 February for 2012.
This year’s edition of the calendar will come in B4 size [250 x 353mm]. How awesome is that? (For the Zone folks, that’s the size of the Zone magazine.) The calendar will be printed on 250gsm matt laminated loose sheets with punched holes. You can clip them, hang them, stick them or use them however you please.
The calendars are now open for pre-order and will arrive towards the end of January. My apologies that they won’t be here in time for the new year, but the plus point is that the designs are not year specific and can be re-used again and again.
For Singapore-based orders, each calendar will cost SGD$30 (without shipping, aka you know me and can self collect from me) and SGD$35 (with shipping and handling). Local bank transfer preferred.
Will be shipping internationally, but am not clear of how much shipping will cost yet and will update once I can get quotes for it. In the meantime, do leave a message or email if you’re interested so I can check with the post-office for your locations once I get the sample. If anyone has any lobang or advice for how to best ship B4 sized packages, do let me know as well, thanks very much!
All profits from the calendars (assuming I break even) will go towards cutting the losses we have incurred from trying to film Staring at the Sun while Singapore is drowning in the rain. We are hitting a painfully large debt for a student production and appreciate any support we can get.
Drop me mail at lizzaeh[@]gmail[dot]com to order them or if you have queries!
For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
“God has given us a spirit of excellence. He does not require perfection. Are you demanding something of yourself that Christ has never demanded of you? God is not after your gift. He is after your heart.”
— Sean Goh, The Zone Worship Seminar, New Creation Church
Super sorry about the lack of updates, am going to be insanely busy for the next couple of months or so. Am currently working on my final year project, which will be a 24minute short film – a road comedy of sorts. We’re trying to crowdfund part of the cost of our film, so do watch the video below and help us spread the word if you can, thank you very much!
There is a voice inside of you that whispers all day long I feel that this is right for me, I know that this is wrong. No teacher, preacher, parent, friend or wise man can decide What’s right for you— Just listen to the voice that speaks inside.
— Shel Silverstein
I know I said I’d work on some requests this week but have been insanely busy this week. Not going to get any freer for the rest of the year as I’m currently finishing up post-production on this film and working on pre-production for this one… and oh, sometime in between all that I have to sit for this semester’s exams. So I’m sorry I’ll take a little longer with those requests! In the meantime, here is a quote that strikes me real deep. :)
“God’s grace deems us to be someone before we become someone—we’re important before we’re important and lovely before we are lovely.” Russ Masterson, 4 Principles to Survive Adulthood
It’s a good read. It’ll set you free from many of the bondages plaguing our generation – the constant knowing that we’re meant for something greater, yet always finding ourselves seemingly stuck way behind what we think is in our potential to achieve.
A few requests have been streaming in, will work on them next week. :)
