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Just received this email this morning. I do get quite a few emails from customers with broken English but this just doesn't sound right? First, most people talk a lot about themselves and their animals as a way of explaining why they are writing. Also the person has difficulty with some simple words but has no trouble with the words - commercial objectives? What do you think?
Karen
KJ Lyons Design
Karen, good afternoon!
My name is Veronica. I from Russia. Has casually got on your site and has been simply shaken by your works of an author's toy. They are charming! Very much would like to ask you to send me some photo for personal archive of your works of cats. I guarantee that I will not use the given photos in commercial objectives. Simply it would be desirable to have such beauty at least at itself in albums.
Yours faithfully. Veronica. Russia. St.-Petersburg
Hi Karen,
I don't think I'd answer to be on the safe side & wait & see if you hear from her again? Reading it, I think she's typed Russian into a web translator page as this is the sort of thing I get out when I try to translate German sites.... ie They don't make much sense!!
Hope this helps?
Love Julia x :hug:
Plum Cottage BearsKaren, the message does not sound legitimate. This is something to leave well enough alone. You put too much effort into your marvelous cats to risk having the photographs used for unapproved purposes. Gail S. Thomas
Carlyle Bear Co.Hi Karen!
I think it is very sweet of you to even consider replying to this person but I simply wouldn't do it. If it is photos that this person wants why can't she just use whatever she prints off of your site or wherever? Sounds off to me. :hug:
Lisa,
I thought the same thing. But I thought about it and a screen image is low resolution. If she wanted to create high resolution copies of an image she would need original photos. It's beginning to sound very suspicious?!
Karen
puca bearsHi Karen
I'd fully agree - sounds mighty fishy, and i would definitely err on the side of caution, and leave it well alone.
huggies
Maria
PennsylvaniaYou are not obliged to reply to any e-mail if you don't want to, regardless of who sent it or why. You just don't have to reply. No explanation needed.
I don't know whether it's fishy or not. It doesn't sound Kosher but it could be.
Do you know how to read e-mail headers? Can you tell where the message actually came from? (Which may be different than the person claims to be from.) If the header information doesn't add up, you can safely infer that the message is bogus.
It could be a ploy to get e-mail addresses for spamming purposes. If somebody sends you a message and you reply to it, they know there is a live person on the other end and they know they can spam you or target you for viruses via e-mail.
You are also right that it could be somebody who will hijack your images for their own purposes.
Like I said, don't reply. You are not obliged to.
If the person is legitimate and has a real interest in your work they will send another message. If/when they do, you can reevaluate the situation. Right now, the best course of action is to do nothing.
US bears,
Well, did find out that the message came from Russia. Don't know if that means much? I will hold off replying. It's hard for me because I tend to reply to everyone that sounds like a bear person. But this did seem suspicious.
Karen
PennsylvaniaIt's so hard to decide, sometimes. But, if you don't know for sure, it's probably better to err on the side of caution. In this case, I think the best reply is no reply. If she sends you another message you can reevaluate your thoughts.
In any case, you are still not obliged to reply to an e-mail from anybody you don't know.
Karen, if you do reply, I'd recommend a simple "No." Thank her for her compliments. Tell her that the photos are copyrighted, so you can't share them. Period.
(By the way, as a former English teacher, I can affirm that the language in the note is NOT natural. Maybe computer translators generate sentences like those, but English learners whose native language is Russian do not.)
Becky
Bubble Up Bears!Hi Karen. 
I'm sending you a PM.
Hugs,
Cyndee
I don't know one way or the other whether this particular email is legitimate or not, but I thought I'd mention that this year, I have met some fabulously talented Russian bearcrafters on the internet, some of whom are now welcome members of our Guild of Master Bearcrafters and the Top 100 Best Bear Artist Blogs list. The Russian language translates in quite a flowery way when you put it into an online translator, but that shouldn't deter anyone from connecting with these ladies because they are working hard to overcome the language difficulties between us and to share their passion for and expertise in crafting, with us.
Holt, MII've seen your pictures, and they are by no means poor viewing quality for the web... you have nice, large web images that are clear.
The only reason that she'd need stuff like that is if a) she doesn't know how to use a photo editing program or b) for professional print or publication... because if I personally just wanted photo references of your work, a printout of your web images, enlarged slightly in a photo editing program, would do just fine.
If you do feel the need to reply to her, it wouldn't be rude at all to let her know that you aren't comfortable with sending out print quality images, but that with a photo editing program, she can print out images that should be good enough for photo reference... and maybe suggest that she look into making a digital archive of bears she's interested in, since then she would have lovely looking pictures to view, and all in a lot less storage space.
I know in the doll world, there is a lot of photo theft for publication, and some similar request emails were sent... and some people have inappropriately profited off others works... often times, nothing ends up being done about it, because getting a copyright enforced across international borders is evidently very hard to do. (at least in the doll folks experience).
I like to err on the side of caution, but still trust in the good of humanity and assume this is just some bear artist who doesn't realize what she's asking.
I wouldn't give her any images, but I'd let her know why, and offer up some alternatives (like the bit about enlarging them in a photo program... chances are, if she doesn't know how, she knows someone who does.)... but that would only be if you really felt the need to reply. Otherwise, I agree with the simply not responding.
Honey Valley BearsHi Karen
I wouldn't send her any photos. I work at a store that does a lot of shipping and receiving on parcels. And it just doesn't sound right. It sounds just like the emails we get at work that are related with somekind of fraud. We've always been very careful and lucky, we haven't been caught in any of the messes but a lot of other stores have. It is just weird that she is saying that she isn't going to use your photos. Most people would send you and email requesting the photos and wait for your reply with any concerns about the use of the photos. Not just jump in and say that they aren't going to use them. It is a sure way of saying that she will.
Amber
PennsylvaniaIt is just weird that she is saying that she isn't going to use your photos. Most people would send you and email requesting the photos and wait for your reply with any concerns about the use of the photos. Not just jump in and say that they aren't going to use them. It is a sure way of saying that she will.
I think you are right on that. You know what the world's thee biggest lies are?
1) The check is in the mail.
2) Yes, honey, I'll respect you in the morning.
3) I promise I won't steal your photos.
Us Bears,
:crackup: Love the last one! I'll remember that.
Karen
