Alex Thomas
Officially Licensed Merch: Why It Matters
Choosing official merchandise directly supports the bands you love. With album sales declining and touring costs rising, official merch is often a crucial income stream for artists. Say no to bootlegs to ensure your favorite bands receive the support they deserve. Every purchase lost to bootleggers significantly harms the artists you love and undermines our ability to create new, approved products for you.
Ethical Business Practices
Buying from companies that steal intellectual property raises concerns about their ethics. Official merchandise ensures your personal information is safe, that materials used are of the highest quality, and that you will actually receive what you paid for. Don't be fooled by terms like "imported" and "fan-made", which are codewords for counterfeits. And don't fall for the idea that bootleggers are part of DIY culture. Most contemporary bootleggers have online stores and are doing things on a scale that is 100% about profit and greed, not promotion. They're nothing but sharks and con artists looking to make a quick buck. Real fans support bands and ethical businesses that ensure artists are fairly compensated.
Would You Work with Known Thieves?
Bands should never collaborate with companies that produce bootlegs because it harms the industry as a whole. How can you expect fair treatment for your own band from a company that routinely rips off other bands? If a company is making bootlegs, don't support them and don’t work with them. They can’t be trusted. Musicians need to stand together in a united front against bootleggers to reclaim their income streams.
Ethical Production
Our commitment to using factories that follow labor laws and pay fair wages ensures that our products are ethically produced. Unlike bootleggers who prioritize profit over integrity, our licensing agreements uphold higher standards. Our prices reflect a higher quality product, direct support to artists, and fair wages for industry workers. We don't cut corners in bringing you the very best merchandise on the market.
At Pull The Plug Patches we are committed to 100% Official Merch.
For the scene. For the bands. For the horns-up legit fans!