Buyer Beware - Cricut Inc. is about to start charging to use your own designs

Creative Arts
#1

Cricut has been sending emails to Design Space users including this change to the ability to use it without an Access ($10 per month) subscription:

“Also, soon we will be making changes that affect members who use the free Design Space app without a Cricut Access plan. Every calendar month, these members will be allowed to upload up to 20 personal images and/or patterns. Members with a paid Cricut Access plan will have unlimited uploads. All members, with or without a paid plan, will keep all of their existing uploads in Design Space.”

That isn’t 20 projects, that is 20 images. If a project requires multiple images, or you need to re-upload because Design Space is a poor quality piece of software, your total is reduced. In short, if you cut more than a few things every month, even 100% your own designs, you will have to pay.

Edit for clarity: If you do all your vector and text design within the Design Space app, you can still make and cut as many project files you want, for free, every month. It’s only limiting the number of uploaded images you use every month. My opinion: Design Space is awful for doing actual design.

There have also been Cricut support conversations shared on reddit and elsewhere with Cricut support techs intimating that Cricut will begin “bricking” Cricut machines sold from the original user. This has been confirmed by multiple users, but there has been no official word from Cricut on the subject.

Cricut is seeking an IPO and apparently “paid subscribers” is a big part of their valuation. I have canceled my Cricut Access plan until the dust settles.

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#2

Thanks for the heads up. That’s one reason we purchased the Cameo, it has an offline software that you could use, and I figured even if I had to use a crummy piece of vendor locked software, if I could use it offline then I wouldn’t ever end up with a bricked unit if the company went under.

The idea of cloud connected hardware is just so evil. Like the hardware I own in my house needs to talk to someone else’s computer to get permission to do the thing I paid for it so it could do is mind-boggling.

Edit: Not saying I told you so or anything, and I really would love to help if there’s some sort of hacking group that spawns at DMS for this to get access to your hardware back, but more of a musing about I hate being right about it.

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#3

Yeah that’s just insane. It’s one thing if it’s something like a smart speaker where the main utility requires that connectivity, but for something like a printer, cutter, etc that should be criminal. Bait and switch, and should be considered misleading advertising

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#4

Several users have already filed complaint with their states’ attorneys general. I predict Cricut will back off for now, wait for the hullabaloo to blow over, then quietly roll the same change out sometime soon.

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#5

When Cricut began, it sold all the images and fonts allowed for use. Vinyl cutter software companies, like Sure-cuts-a lot, came out with compatible software unlocking the machines. Cricut scared them off the market threatening lawsuits.

Then just a couple of years ago, Cricut came out with their Design software (buggy), they finally “allowed” users to use their own images on their own equipment. BUT - they abandoned all the previous users and machines by discontinuing the older software and not giving a path forward.

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#6

I will do everything I can to assist in this hack.

The result may get us sued under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), but the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and others like it are likely to defend us.

More reading:

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#7

A piece of hardware isn’t protected by copyright. Firmware inside the machine is, but you’re not copying it.

I suspect EFF would make quick work of gutting Cricut if they tried to sue over access to the hardware.

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#8

Try here…

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#9

A useful3rd-party firmware would be a wonderful outcome of this cluster-flop.

#10

Did you read the links I provided?

DMCA has been used as grounds for suits in which no copying of firmware is involved.

And it is currently being used to “maker-proof” some products.

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#11

Generally what I would recommend would be to sniff the USB or Bluetooth connection while the software is running and then use those commands that you sniff to make your own software that is open source. Providing you don’t need to “break any encryption” the DMCA doesn’t apply, and if you don’t need to reference any of their copyrighted material you should be good to go.

INAL and I can only help with the hardware stuff, I’m not really interested in any software dev stuff but I believe we have people at DMS that do.

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#12

Sounds like an aftermarket controller board would sell. Rip theirs out and replace.

#13

That works fine for makers, but for the average person if the vendor drops support for the hardware it would be better for what I imagine to be the “standard Cricut user” to be able to just learn a new software tool instead of taking apart and purchasing new hardware.

#14

Sure but it sounded to me like the replacement software vendors dropped support after getting sued.

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#15

Inkscape used to have a plug-in Inkcut for vinyl cutters. Inkcut has become it’s own standalone project. It supports an extensive list of cutters, including the silhouette cameos. But not the cricuts yet, according to their website.

I gave @Draco an older cricut machine to hack. Not sure if he had time to do so.

https://www.codelv.com/projects/inkcut/

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#16

yep, and my wife’s machine was one that was no longer supported despite having spend HUNDREDS of dollars on digital sets, as well as cartridges. NEVER again will we support that company

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#17

The hardware is very good, I have used mine for vinyl quite a bit (saves me the headache of using the space’s USCutter) but the software was a compromise between my mom’s ease of use and my use. The worst part when we signed up for the subscription service is you pay $9/mo AND you have to pay for most of the designs and fonts. Those should be included for that much. That’s like buying an inkjet printer but can only print with a subscription service.

I also think their USB data is encrypted to prevent 3rd party software, I’m just waiting for hackers to retaliate.

#18

Make jumping on the Cricut-bashing bandwagon:

Edit: now on Gizmodo https://gizmodo.com/cricut-now-wants-users-to-pay-extra-for-unlimited-use-o-1846477745

and Hackaday https://hackaday.com/2021/03/15/cricut-decides-to-charge-rent-for-people-to-use-the-cutting-machines-they-already-own/

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#19

buy up all the used Cricut machines, develop a open source cnc controller for them, profit. A GRBL arduino controller would be enough, although I bet they are encoded servos instead of steppers.

I’d rather have the limitation Fusion 360 has where you can only work on 10 files at a time, but for now 20 uploads a month doesn’t affect me yet. Worst case is we do a group share of a single account with cricut owners.

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#20

Update: Cricut released a statement today backing off this decision. Not 100% reversed, just grandfathering current users. Buy a Cricut on or after 1/1/2022 and the 20 free uploads limit will apply.

I’m glad the listened and I’m glad a bunch of “influencers” showed their true colors by staying silent. And I’m glad it made me start looking at all my monthly subscriptions I pay for.

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