Thread: Copyrighted Amish Quilt Pattern

Wow! That is interesting. I totally get enforcing a copyright against the B&B selling a design based on their pattern, but it just seems wrong to go after a Fire Department's charity auction. I have been saving up to purchase one of their quilts & now I'm re-thinking that. What they're doing is totally legal, but just not very nice to make a charity do so much work to ensure that none of the donations they receive are based on a copyrighted pattern.

I look at quilts copyrighted or not and just get ideas from them like Oh, I can try this or I'll have to try that. That is one technique that I should try. Just like putting this color with that color. Fundraisers are called that for a reason, to help raise funds for others in need to better the environment or quality of living.

It is a pretty Bargello pattern but they can copy-write the pattern but not the technique. Most experienced quilters can figure out most designs themselves without patterns. This isn't the first time and it won't be the last time that this happens.

Well, first I am confused. Is it the quilt or quilting design? Next, I can duplicate/mimick any piece of art I want. Look at all the ametuer painters who paint the masters, both old and current? It is an imitation and not put off as an original by the artist. Take the quilt in question, what is copyrighted exactly? The end result? The pattern design? Just the steps of the pattern? So, I like the design. Am I infringing if I make a paper-piece pattern to accomplish the design but with slightly bigger/smaller pieces and maybe slightly curved in different directions here and there? Am I infringing if I sell that paper piece pattern calling it, "Lights Out in The Valley"? Am I infringing if I rearrange the design, make a pattern with directions and video tutorial and sell for a profit, calling it "Finding Light in the Valley". If I paint her design on canvas is that infringement? Where did the design originally come from? Was it her creation or just adapting to fabric? Is this copyright actually an open domain design? Makes me want to make one, flaunt it, and challenge it.

I get that if they produced a printed pattern of the quilt, I couldn't run that through a copier and sell the copy. However, they haven't produced any kind of a printed pattern of that quilt to sell. They have a website selling Amish-made goods and sell quilts made from the original creator's design (she got a copyright she never enforced and they bought the copyright from her). The article isn't clear, but apparently local quilt shops were selling patterns of the design that someone else created. Okay, I can see opposing that if the pattern is exactly like the quilts they're selling. But to say that no one can make a quilt based on that pattern? And for the B&B owner to think she can't sell a quilt she owns that's based on that pattern? That's ridiculous.