Instead of creating decent products that work correctly, they choose to sue people for copyright infringement.
They claim that all the provisions of the previous settlement have not been met.
Basically Andy forgot to take the line off of the Make the Cut Facebook page that said his software supports Cricut. However, if a user clicked on the link to the Make the Cut home page, it clearly states they do not support Cricut machines. As soon as he was told about the Facebook page, he removed it.
Andy and Ann have NOT told anyone how to make the software work with the cricut since the lawsuit. So should they be sued because someone else did? I just don’t get it. They have deleted messages on their forum (which existed long before the lawsuit) where MEMBERS (not them) have shared how to get a certain plug in that can be found easily with a simple google search. There are blogs written on how to get the plug in and how to install it. Are they planning to sue Make the Cut because someone else posted how to do it? I guess the answer to that question is a yes.
Did the original lawsuit say that other people, not affiliated with Make the Cut, LLC could not share how it works? I don’t think so. Whatever happened to free speech?
It is hard for a small mom and pop business to fight a big corporate business, but frankly, they have acted like big bullies because they obviously spend quite a bit of money protecting their name. Which a good business does. But in this case, they sued a man who created a software that made the Cricut run off a computer without using the expensive cartridges. Although they might have lost money on cartridge sales, I would think machine sales would go up because crafters would have more freedom to create anything they can draw.
Other machines are on the market that do those things for a lot less money: the Silhouette Cameo and the KNK Zing to name a few. I would think Provo Craft would be losing more money for not keeping up with the technology, instead of binding customers to expensive cartridges.
The Design Studio software is a joke, in my opinion. MTC, Sure Cuts A Lot (SCAL), and the Silhouette Studio BLOW it right out of the water. Design Studio takes a full two minutes, if not more just to start. The opening page shows that it is loading fonts. You can’t zoom in, half the time it is hard to select an object, and you can’t really modify it, other than welding it with something else.
In my personal experience, I bought a cricut expression BECAUSE of Make the Cut. I even bought cartridges for it too. Once I heard about the lawsuit, I made a personal choice to no longer purchase any item Provo Craft creates.
I’m hoping that enough people will look at Provo Craft’s practices and make a conscious decision to no longer support or purchase products made by a company that instead of moving forward with new technology in their own products, sues the people that do.
krapikreate.wordpress.com 
I wish I could do more than just boycott Provocrap. They are just jerks.
As to paraphrase a comment on one of their forums from a another unhappy customer maybe they are just jealous because Andy could “get their machine do things they never could.”
Thanks for posting this!
I’ve long said they should have hired him instead of suing him. Though I know he wouldn’t touch their company with a ten-foot pole.
I totally agree their cartridges are so expensive and don’t completely cut most of the items on their cartridges! WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE? Their cartridges are not worth the money, and their customer service dept is so nasty, they should be the ones being sued, I can’t believe how much they screw people, they really are “Jerks “.
UNBELIEVABLE!!!! Greedy fools.
FOOL (PC)
noun
1. a silly or stupid person; a person who lacks judgment or sense.
2. a professional jester, formerly kept by a person of royal or noble rank for amusement: the court fool.
3. a weak-minded or idiotic person.
Synonyms
1. simpleton, dolt, dunce, blockhead, numskull, ignoramus, dunderhead, ninny, nincompoop, booby, saphead, sap. 2. zany, clown. 5. moron, imbecile, idiot. 6. delude, hoodwink, cheat, gull, hoax, cozen, dupe, gudgeon.
Antonyms
1. genius. (ANDY)
Maybe everyone should take up some money to help them fight! It has been said OVER and OVER– Trademark laws clearly state- once a product is sold- the company HAS no say in it’s use. And NOW they can’t void the warranty! Epson and Ford both tired this– and failed.. Epson – You can only use our ink- or void the warranty- LOST in court! Ford- you can only use the kind of oil we say– so the courts said- fine – you have to supply the oil- they gave up… The NEED to unit and stand together and fight them! They will WIN in COURT!
If PC was SERIOUS about not wanting their machines to work with software why didn’t PC update the firmware on their machines that will not allow customers to access or use software!? WHY blame MTC!? This is SERIOIUSLY bogus and stupid!!!!! HATE PC right now and I ONLY have an E!
RuthGillis61
My friends are amazed that I haven’t bought PC products since the last lawsuit. As a consumer don’t tell me I can’t do something with anything I have in my home for my use. I don’t use those expensive cleaners in my cleaning machines. Let them come and get them. Since Andy came out with MTC I haven’t used them either. Is that Andy’s fault too? Darlene
Un-freaking-believable!!! They are clearly desperate, which means our boycott is making a difference.
They are an absolute disgrace of a company, total oxygen thieves! I only bought my original cricut BECAUSE of SCAL and MTC….when they pulled all this crap last year, I hightailed it out and spent heaps on a new machine and sold off my Piece of Crap, I swore I would never support them ever again by buying anything of theirs….to date I have stood strong on that and will continue to do so, I hope what’s left of their business continues to go right into the ground and karma bites them all fair square on the ass!
Deb, thanks. You really hit the nail on the head. Great information regarding this injustice!
They are definitely “circling the drain” and it’s all their own doing!! They make me sick!! Trying to sue Andy and Ann for something they had absolutely no control over!! Anything said on there regarding them or their machines was deleted ASAP. They can not control what other people say. If PC doesn’t like it they should take a hint and thank them or sit down and shut the heck up!! GAAAADDDDSS!! 😡
And that’s why I’m in the process of selling all my Cricut items and have recently purchased the Silhouette Cameo.
As has been previously stated, HIRE THEM don’t sue them!!!
I agree with your blog 100%. I won’t and don’t intend to buy any made by or offered by PC. They’re products are Crappy. I purchased a Zing because you can’t do anything intricate with the cricket. They are jealous of the sucess Andy and Ann have made of MTC and are unwilling to listen to what consumers want. Had they given the users of their machines to use other software and/or import graphics of their choosing they won’t be losing money. I’m also glad I don’t bank with BOA. Andy and Ann are two of the most honest and upright people I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing business with. God sped to them that they prevail.
God doesn’t support stealing no matter how honest or wholesome you try to make the thieves sound. What success???
wow. So we are calling them thieves?
They didn’t steal. They complied with the lawsuit and removed the offending plug in. Why does PC want Andy’s code? What purpose would they have for wanting it? I would hope they wouldn’t want to use it because that would be stealing.
I beg to differ, I read that Andy was involved with a program that is used to capture streaming video, which is a form of pirating. In this forum he even talks about capturing pornography http://forum.applian.com/showthread.php?1045-Since-the-update-can-t-capture-anymore…
It’s only a form of piracy if you do something illegal with the streaming. What does that have to do with this lawsuit?
p.s. if this is a “form of pirating” as you say, why is this company still in business?
http://applian.com/legal.php
Fair use, my friend. Why the ASSumption that people are doing something illegal with it? Are you going to tell me you don’t use a DVR to record your favorite TV shows? It must be a form of pirating if you are. How is this any different? If you are distributing what you are recording, than you are in trouble. And if people are using it to capture pornography, that doesn’t mean they are distributing it. As long as it isn’t illegal videos, I don’t see the problem.
Provo Craft also makes ASSumptions. They assume that people used the back up feature solely for distributing images to other people. They assume that when tracing a screen shot of anything they find on the web (PC images included) that they are distributing or selling the images. They ASSume that Make the Cut is distributing the plug in, when they are not. Hundreds of copies of that software was sold. PC is going to have to go after every single owner of that software and make them destroy the plug in. The Heinleins have NEVER distributed the plug in, they have NEVER told someone how to continue to use the C. with their software, and they have NEVER encouraged others to do so. Instead, they have moved on to creating and supporting other machines.
If members of their forum have posted something they shouldn’t have, it gets removed. Just as PC does to their own message board. It seems to me if there was issues regarding images in the gallery and forum posts, a letter should have been written. The Heinleins complied with removing the gallery images and the offending forum posts. If they did not, then you, I mean PC, would have the right to reopen the lawsuit.
I’m sorry – you beg to differ with what? Because nothing in your post relates to current events. I have to question your motives a little. Why are you even bringing this up? Do you work for PC or are you just trying to drag Andy’s name through the mud for your own amusement? First of all the post you linked to is from 2008. As for your pirating opinion, do you have DVR? Have you used a VCR to record a show so that you could watch it later? It’s not pirating until you claim it as yours and start distributing it. You may have a different opinion, however the LAW is really the only opinion that counts, correct? As for recording porn – are you just trying to shock people by saying the word in conjunction with Andy’s name? Applian sells the software, yes Andy worked for them at one point, however neither the company nor Andy tells people what they can and can’t record with it. In fact the company dictated what the program did. In case you weren’t able to dig up the info on your own, Andy no longer works for that company. They still sell the perfectly legal software. Would you like to leave your full name so that we can investigate your past and try to dig up things we can twist to make you look bad? Screen shot this: I find it deplorable and disgusting that anyone would turn this into a personal attack on my husband. Maybe you should look into attaining a hobby. I’m sure there are many ways to make better use of your time.
The law is the only thing that counts and the courts have said that companies cannot steal period. Stop trying to make tech people that steal and tell others how to steal victims. Why don’t they invent their own product instead of sponging off of other companies to make themselves money. Stop accusing Honest people who dislike thieves of being PC employees! Please….not everyone agrees that you should be allowed to take any idea you want just because you can. The law has told these third party companies to knock it off so don’t get mad at PC for enforcing their rights under the law. Don’t piggy back your product off of another company and claim you are helping people save money! People in the Crafting and tech world STEAL all the time and then cry when they are sued over it….stop trying to justify your actions. Create your own machines, your own software and don’t cry when companies won’t allow you to get away with stealing.
They did. They created the Zing. They have long left C. products behind.
Stealing what, exactly? If you are referring to the ability to back up cartridges, Andy removed that feature right away. How is it illegal to make back ups of cartridges you own? Do you make back ups of movies you own? Or music you own? As long as you aren’t selling or distributing those images, you aren’t stealing. There is this thing called FAIR USE.
Furthermore, how does this apply to SCAL? They never had that feature. The bottom line is PC doesn’t want third party software cutting to their machines. That is not stealing.
Andy didn’t create MTC to “Steal” from C. machines. He created it so people could use their computer and not be limited by cartridges. He has also created drivers for the Silhouette machines, Black Cat, KNK, among others. Would this be consider “stealing”? Do you really think people want those images from the cartridges and steal them? Please further explain your definition of stealing because it isn’t matching mine. Is it stealing if someone uses non-HP ink and paper in a HP printer?
Andy co-created the Zing. He had long moved on. If PC can’t see the BENEFITS of his software cutting to their machines, that’s their problem. It seems pretty coincidental to me that PC renewed their complaints a few days after the Zing was released. Seems to me they don’t like competition.
Perhaps if you think everyone in the crafting world is a thief, you ought to consider moving on to a new hobby. It’s supposed to be fun.
Happy Crafting!
Cathie, everyone is entitled to their opinion, however I would highly suggest that you inform yourself on what is actually going on before publicizing it. You clearly have very little knowledge of the situation or have been misinformed.
“The law has told these third party companies to knock it off so don’t get mad at PC for enforcing their rights under the law.”
Not true. Yes PC sued companies that created 3rd party software that allowed you to cut to their machines. These companies settled out of court. No judge/jury decided that what they were doing was wrong.
“Create your own machines, your own software and don’t cry when companies won’t allow you to get away with stealing.”
This doesn’t make much sense to me unless you are referring to PC. Then I wholeheartedly agree. They should stop crying about it and make their own software. It’s what their customers have been asking for for quite some time. Competition makes a better product for the end user.
Andy did write MTC, it is his own software. PC doesn’t offer software that allows you to cut your own images from SVGs, PNGs, etc. They don’t offer software that cuts to the Zing, the Silhouette SD, Silhouette Cameo, Pazzles, Gazelle, eCraft….need I go on? Have you heard of the Zing? Did you know that Andy sells it? It appears not.
“People in the Crafting and tech world STEAL all the time and then cry when they are sued over it….stop trying to justify your actions.”
That’s a broad statement. I’m very involved in the crafting community, and I find that statement very offensive. I’ve made a lot of great friends on the MTC forum and not one of them is a thief. None of them “STEAL all the time”.
I’m sure that you are right – God doesn’t tolerate thieves, but maybe you should let Him be the judge of who falls under that category.
Janice, it is not illegal to capture streaming video for your own use. He doesn’t talk to him about how to do it either. A man named Bill owns that software company and it seems to me Andy just helps him with it. Again, it is not illegal to capture video for your personal use if it is in the public domain.
BTW….Cathie Rigby wrote a book and gives lessons on how to use the Cricut. Why is that any different then MTC??
Cathy Rigby… Be careful as you never know when Provocraft may turn on you, and you find yourself on the other side of the fence being sued by Provocraft themselves for something you did using their product or name, and suddenly they go after you. They fired Chris who was such a great help in the Provocraft community, which left us without support on a daily bases. Then I just found out they let go of their marketing team, including Jinger. I guess to some that is old news, but to me it’s new news.
Listen this is a hobby…the other cutting machine companies were ok with this software. Provocraft was ok with it, till they started selling thousands of machines. Then they got too big, and bam now a lawsuit. Now, they want to sue them again, and others as well. Well, I think their ride is going to come to a screech. There are hundreds of complaints just alone on the Provocraft community regarding countless problems with all their machines, updates, and machines being rendered dead after an update. I purchased my last cartridges last month, and I am done. This is due to the fact that everytime I do an update on one of the Provocraft machines, I have to squirm that it will not render my machine useless. On one of their updates, I lost all my files in my machine as the update killed my Gypsy. They were important files that I can never get again. Now, I find out it is hit or miss regarding the saving of files. The list goes on, and on. Leave Ann and Andy alone..they have moved on. Now Provocraft should move on, and fix their own software issues that are creating havoc on the Provocraft community. Take care of their own house, as they are loosing customers by the droves. I do enjoy their machines, but they are not keeping their promise to their customers with all these issues that even 8 months later many have not been fixed.
I am a crafter, designer, and Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer Survivor let’s just learn to have fun with our hobbies. There are worst things happening on a day by day to continue to take delight in messing up a small company’s livelihood…or making claims that you feel is hurting Provocraft. They are big boys, and have the great BOA with them..that’s a different horse..lol
In this day and age when so many are loosing their home, possessions, and their lives let’s learn to be happy with our own lives.
Have a great day everyone.
The above post was meant for Cathie Rigby. I apologize for mispelling your name on the above post.
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