The only scam is that the US patent office actually issued a patent for this, which is insane. Supposedly, you are not able to patent an IDEA, but that seems to be what she's done. I've read in various articles that the US patent office is falling down on the job lately when it does research. ("I googled it, didn't find anything like it; it must be unique!") The fact that Fisher Price manufactured a similar product years ago proves that her product is not unique.

Regardless, she does have a patent and this does give the patent owner certain legal rights, but I'm not sure just how far that goes and I'd love to hear what a legal expert has to say - but he'd probably need to read the entire patent to give his opinion.

And just because *I* think it's silly that she got a patent, doesn't negate the fact that it may indeed be a legal patent. (Use the link below to read it yourself.)

One thing I'm sure of without a doubt: The name "T---ie" (I'm not even going to type it) is her registered trademark, for which she paid fees and filed forms to legally register it. (Trademarks, copyrights, and patents are 3 completely different legal issues.)

Whatever you do, whatever you sew, whatever you sell or do not sell, do not, Do Not, DO NOT use that name when you describe it publicly: that includes online (like eBay or craigslist, etc.), in print ads, - even on a sign at your craft booth. Ever.

Regardless of any possible legal questions about the patent issue, there's no question that if she's registered that name as her trademark (and she has), then you can't legally use it.

Call it a Loopy Snuggly, a Ribbon Blanket, or whatever you want, but NOT a "T---ie".

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: The Patent

Interesting that I have found t***ie blankets on Etsy, called by that name....? There are others called by other names. I could make some and sell them on my Etsy web site...but I won't!

It's up to Ms T***ie to do something about it -- and she might. She seems to have a lot of time to devote to this. See the other thread for details.

Regardless of what I think of the patent issue, she's completely within her legal rights when it comes to her registered trademark.

In a similar way, you shouldn't sew and sell online with a phrase like "custom made Levi 501's" although a "custom made jeans" would be OK.

CMC

There is no subterfuge or anything. Someone has a patent, fair and square. Whether or not one agrees with the patent does not change what it is, or the rights granted the holder.

I do not understand the appeal of these items. I've never had a child. I would not give a baby a blanket with loops of ribbon that could catch and twist on his/her little fingers. Ever.

I am similarly unimpressed with people who make such a product, and refuse to use any imagination to come up with a unique name for it. You can't come up with a name that doesn't have "tag" in it?

Eva,
In the original post from 2005 you'll see that Hancock's posted instructions and called it a "ribbons of comfort" blanket and then all of a sudden they wouldn't give the directions any more and we're assuming they too were threatened.
My Mother(Joansews) was not calling it anything tag related. A friend had told her about a "TAB" blanket like tab top curtains and wanted her to make one for her grandchild. I too am childless and had no idea that "T@ggies" was something. Anyhow, Mother posted on here about the friend's request and asked if anybody had seen something similar so she could see if she was making the correct thing for her friend, based on the friends description. After that post she and other members of this board were contacted about making one and mailing it to this person. Then they all received a threatening letter to no longer make the items. Now I can only speak for Mother, but she's never made another one, nor did she ever call it a "T@ggie."

You state you don't understand the appeal of the item, I guess some people like them or T@ggies wouldn't be a company. I know I've had cousins over the years who liked to rub the fiber content tag on store bought blanket and I'm guessing that's where the original idea came from.

I personally wish I'd never heard of the things. 4 years of talking about it,people here posting the day they registered on the taggie post and nothing else irks me too.

Susan

In my mind there's a question about whether the patent would be "fair and square" if someone challenged it in court. That's the only way to find out, and I doubt that will happen any time soon.

I'll concede that she has a valid patent and a right to enforce it.

However, the way she goes about enforcing it is Not Nice (to put it mildly). That, more than anything else, is why people continue to post to that discussion thread. When a crafter gets an email from her, the crafter starts searching the internet, and finds the discussion here. Of course, it's all new information for that crafter, and the discussion is revived once again.

What baffles me is that people are looking for a sewing pattern for this thing. It's just two squares of fabric and some pieces of ribbon.

CMC

I hang out in the Farm forum a lot. My name came from Delaware chickens. Farming wasn't doing anything interesting.I started looking at other forums. When I saw the post about the blanket thingies I had no idea what it was. I did a search and found a picture. That is a cute blanket :) My observation was similar to CMC's why would you need a pattern for this it seems pretty straight forward.
Suellen

Check out the rainbow of ribbons blanket at the allbaby website. I saw these and thought of the taggie fight first thing out. It was also featured in American baby magazine. I wonder if they got in trouble because I can't find where the feature this for sale anymore, either that or they sold out of them LOL.

Stacie

You have to read the patent sheet to find out how and why the woman was granted a patent for the item.