Help Kristen Cedar Fight Copyright Infringement

Support Kristen Cedar’s Fight Against Copyright Infringement

Dear Friends, Family, and Loyal Customers of Kristen Cedar,

First and foremost, I appreciate the support you’ve given my business. Kristen Cedar is more than just a business to me – it’s my heart and soul. I started Kristen Cedar during the pandemic, a time when the world as we knew it shut down and I wasn’t able to work as a hair stylist anymore due to Covid restrictions. But amid the chaos, I was given an idea by God that reignited a passion I had since I was five years old: to create art. So, during that tumultuous and chaotic time, I started drawing again and began designing beautiful and meaningful patches that I felt would connect with and represent Black culture authentically and personally. Designing the patches was exciting, and it became something I really enjoyed

Now, as we approach the 5-year anniversary of Kristen Cedar this August, I find myself facing a heartbreaking and overwhelming challenge. Big companies and small companies have stolen my designs and are selling them for one dollar each, undercutting my prices and making it nearly impossible for my business to survive. My sales have decreased by more than 80%, and the financial strain has been devastating.

Due to copyright infringement of my designs, I’ve lost a significant amount of money. Despite what I’ve been dealing with, I’ve been trying really hard to push through and to keep my business going. However, it’s getting increasingly harder to do so because the business refuse to stop stealing my designs. I have warned them in writing to cease and desist their unlawful business practices, but they have ignored my warnings.

I never imagined that I would be in a position of defending my small, Black-owned business against large companies that insists on stealing every single design I create, but that’s the harsh reality I’m facing. It’s extremely disheartening, because I feel like my dreams and hard work are being brutally assaulted. Additionally, by mass-producing my original designs and pricing them 90% lower than what I sell them for, they have wrecked my ability to make a living and sustain my business. Their thievery of my intellectual property has dealt a devastating blow to me both mentally, emotionally, and financially, and I am at the point where I don’t know how much longer I can keep Kristen Cedar afloat.

So, I’m reaching out to those of you who have grown to love Kristen Cedar and have supported it since its inception. I’m asking for your help, your continued support, and your donations to allow me to take legal action to restore my business, and secure my future. The funds raised will go towards filing a lawsuit against these company’s to force them to cease and desist their thievery of my creative work.

My heart’s desire is to keep designing and creating beautiful, meaningful patches that we’ve both come to cherish, but I need your help to move forward.

Thanking you in advance,

Tai Phillips