Hello, this is Tokuko Ochiai, co-founder of amirisu.
Today I’d like to address a less cheerful topic: what to do if you come across items on Mercari that infringe on our rights.
Since we do not constantly monitor Mercari, it’s difficult for us to notice when single patterns or kits are being resold there. If you happen to see such items, we kindly ask you to do the following:
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Use the “Report” button on Mercari.
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If the item is still listed for sale, you can also leave a comment such as:
“It is illegal for anyone other than the copyright holder to sell this pattern.”
This is very helpful, but we know it can feel a bit intimidating to leave comments—so simply reporting the listing is enough in most cases.
Even if you contact us directly, unfortunately there is nothing more we can do beyond reporting either (this applies to copyright holders too). So please—just press that Report button!
Our official stance is also outlined in our “User Guide”:
Recently, we have seen cases of our products being resold on secondary marketplaces. The Japanese-language patterns included with our kits are sold exclusively by us, and reselling them is illegal. It is also illegal to use our photos and texts without permission. If we discover such sales, we will report them to the site, and if personal information is identified, we will refuse any future transactions with that person.
Single patterns included in kits are a crucial source of income for designers, as they receive royalties each time one is sold. Reselling them means that money goes to a reseller instead of the designer—essentially taking away income that rightfully belongs to the creator.
Please keep in mind that many of the patterns resold on Mercari are available through legitimate sources. We strongly encourage you to purchase them through proper channels where the designer is paid directly. That support is what keeps the knitting community vibrant and growing.
Let’s all think carefully and act responsibly so that designers working hard in this industry don’t lose opportunities and income.
And finally, to repeat: if you see rights-infringing items on Mercari—please hit the Report button first!
amirisu.co
Tokuko Ochiai