Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Provo Craft is at it again!
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Provo Craft is at it again!

post #1 of 30
2/16/12 at 12:12pm
Thread Starter 
I just saw this at the MTC (make the cut) web site. I have a cricut and use it with the MTC program. I also have a Silhouette that I probably use 90% of the time. It looks like PC is sueing MTC AGAIN!
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuits/copyright-lawsuits/wisconsin-eastern-district-court/89652/provo-craft-novelty-inc-v-make-the-cut-llc-et-al/summary/
With this in mind I am going to sell my Cricut Cake machine on ebay and will sell it very cheap (although you can get them for $49.00 now) I don't want anything PC in my shop. It is such a shame. The concept of using the electronic cutters for cake decorating is fantastic. That idea was stolen from the inventor. I use my Silhouette and I can still use MTC, which is a fantastic design program.
I only share this because I know there are many here who are cricut owners and are also dissappointed with their cricut and PC.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 30
2/16/12 at 12:20pm
a liitle unclear, who was the original inventor? of the cricut
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 30
2/16/12 at 12:26pm
What can they sue them for now. You can't use MTC with the cricut any more.

BozCoCos, Provocraft invented the Cricut. Linda Mclure is credited with using for gumpaste and fondant. There is a very long back story regarding her relationship to PC and I'm not going to get into it here but that said. The companies like Make the Cut that make software to allow you to use any design from your PC with your electric cutter were sued by ProvoCraft because PC wants you to only be able to use their very expensive cartridges. I was given the mini cricut and some cartridges. If I were to buy a new cutter now, I would buy the Silhoutte with MTK so I can design and cut any pattern or font I want.
Visit me at www.keeponcaking.com for tutorials and other cake stuff.
Reply
Visit me at www.keeponcaking.com for tutorials and other cake stuff.
Reply
post #4 of 30
2/16/12 at 12:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sillywabbitz

The companies like Make the Cut that make software to allow you to use any design from your PC with your electric cutter were sued by ProvoCraft because PC wants you to only be able to use their very expensive cartridges.


Sounds fair to me...if PC is using a razor/blade model (cheap initial equipment sold at cost or at a loss, with profit coming in from consumables) and implemented the necessary IP protections then they have every right to sue MTC.
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
post #5 of 30
2/16/12 at 12:37pm
thanks silly wabbitz, I would love the silhouette but cost is a no go now. In the future i will buy one and hold off on the cheaper cricut.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 30
2/16/12 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason_kraft

Quote:
Originally Posted by sillywabbitz

The companies like Make the Cut that make software to allow you to use any design from your PC with your electric cutter were sued by ProvoCraft because PC wants you to only be able to use their very expensive cartridges.


Sounds fair to me...if PC is using a razor/blade model (cheap initial equipment sold at cost or at a loss, with profit coming in from consumables) and implemented the necessary IP protections then they have every right to sue MTC.



If you go to the Make the Cut discussion forum you will be able to read what is going on. It is a case of a big, but failing company trying to harass a small company that came out with a product far superior to theirs.

Linda McClure invented the technique of using all electronic cutters for cake decorating. They pirated the idea from her, made the cricut cake machine. There really is a lot more to this story, but just another example of their terrible business practices. As consumers we need to know what is going on with the companies we buy things from. That way, we can let them know we are unhappy with their business practices by not buying their products. Money talks! By the way, there is a boycott provo craft page, but I am not sure how to get to it.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 30
2/16/12 at 1:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bonniekaye

If you go to the Make the Cut discussion forum you will be able to read what is going on. It is a case of a big, but failing company trying to harass a small company that came out with a product far superior to theirs.


I don't know the full story, but I doubt you will hear an unbiased perspective on a discussion board run and moderated by the defendants.

PC may be able to show prior art indicating they were working on electronic cutters for cake decorating before McClure met with them, if so they will be in a good position to win the lawsuit -- McClure may have come up with the idea independently, but if PC was already working on it then she has no exclusive right to the invention.

BTW if you google "boycott provo craft" the first result is a Facebook page for the boycott, and the second result is a Facebook page urging you not to boycott PC. You are of course free to boycott PC, but if you only intended to buy the loss leader cricut itself and no cartridges then PC would be happy not to have you as a customer.
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
post #8 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:14pm
OMG! I went to the cricut community page, sorry i did, what a headache i have, people sure are vehement about their products. I will buy the silhouette in the near future. A poor man's copywright goeas a long way in settling some of these issues. (you mail ALL relevant info on your invention to yourself and do not open it-you have to use an envelope that will look tampered with as soon as someone tries to open it-) then it is opened in court or in front of both sides with their lawyers. of course applying for a patent goes a long way!
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:18pm
It appears that the lawsuit is an extension of the previous lawsuit. PC is alleging that the owners of MTC have not stopped the use of the software that was sold prior to the first lawsuit. Additionally there are Ebay listings for a plug-in that will make the newest version of MTC work with cricut machines. It is not MTC selling this information, but an individual.

I really think this is ridiculous!! I personally love my expression and cricut cake, but would NOT own or use them without a program like MTC or SCAL. I never would have purchased either of these machines had those programs not been available.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:20pm
Thread Starter 
Provo Craft knew nothing of using electronic cutters for cake decorating before Linda McClure presented the idea to them. She is patent pending on the technique. I got my information straight from her. In fact, I got one of the first DVDs she made about the technique, before PC even knew about it. Took her classes and now I use the method daily in my shop.
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:26pm
Hmmm - my thinking on this is that using a machine to create your icing decorations is not really creating anything! Where's the skill in that????????
Live each day as if it's your last because one day you'll be right!
Reply
Live each day as if it's your last because one day you'll be right!
Reply
post #12 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ChilliPepper

Hmmm - my thinking on this is that using a machine to create your icing decorations is not really creating anything! Where's the skill in that????????



Yold say the same thing about using cookie cutters tappits. I can't write on a cake to save my life, so lettering, I have to use cutters, if it's electronic or otherwise I don't really care and if saves me time and hassle, I can spend more time on the other design aspects.

This was a debate very early on when electronic cutters came out. To each his own but I am all for anything that helps my lettering.
Visit me at www.keeponcaking.com for tutorials and other cake stuff.
Reply
Visit me at www.keeponcaking.com for tutorials and other cake stuff.
Reply
post #13 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BizCoCos

A poor man's copywright goeas a long way in settling some of these issues. (you mail ALL relevant info on your invention to yourself and do not open it-you have to use an envelope that will look tampered with as soon as someone tries to open it-) then it is opened in court or in front of both sides with their lawyers.


This is an urban legend, a "poor man's copyright" has no legal standing in the US, and in any case it is trivial to alter a postmark date or reseal an envelope.

http://www.snopes.com/legal/postmark.asp
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
post #14 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bonniekaye

Provo Craft knew nothing of using electronic cutters for cake decorating before Linda McClure presented the idea to them. She is patent pending on the technique. I got my information straight from her.


How does she know that PC knew nothing of the cake decorating application before she met with them? If PC was working on such an application internally they wouldn't share that information with her, and the fact that she has a patent pending doesn't mean anything if PC has prior art.
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
.
My experimental blog: The Bakery Business Perspective
.
Reply
post #15 of 30
2/16/12 at 2:48pm
It still takes talent, many people use flower cutters and their flowers are pretty awful, thus it still takes skill, you can use a fondant cutter like cricut or mtc, silhouette and your buttercream or fondant work underneath may be inferior. I am for neither side since I have none of these cutters but if her work is patent pending then that should be a simple open and shut case.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cake Decorating
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Cake Decorating › Provo Craft is at it again!