Originally Posted by butterflywing
i still don't understand how anyone can 'own' the unmentionable 'dear jane', made of blocks from the 1800's by a long-dead lady.
(not a pretty picture, though)
the quilt itself is not under copyright. however "Dear Jane" as it applies to the quilt is a registered
trademark.
there are fabrics licensed under the trademark. the print designs for those fabrics are protected.
the books, software, and other associated commercial products are protected by either trademark, copyright, patent or some combination thereof.
you can make your own replica of Jane Stickle's quilt without buying any of the commercially available products.
however, i don't think many of us would even know the quilt existed without the research and resulting efforts that went into the book and follow-on products. it's also a giant pain in the butt to draft replica blocks. the book and software are reasonably priced. they make it much easier to recreate the quilt. give the author her "props". she is not a villain.