Quiltingboard Forums - View Single Post - Are methods allowed to be shared?

01-10-2012, 10:51 AM

#103

Wunder-Mar

Super Member

Join Date: May 2009

Posts: 1,265

Quote:

Originally Posted by sewbizgirl

Copyright applies to ideas the creator puts into form: , liteterature, photographs, movies, software, choreography, visual arts, music and software. Copyright protects original creative expression and works of authorship; it protects originality, not novelty. Copyright DOES NOT PROTECT: single words or short phrases ("Where's the beef?"), titles, lists of ingredients or anything that doesn't have a spark of creativity. General design parameters, ideas, and processes are protected under patent and/or trademark law, not copyright law. You cannot copy and distribute someone else's text or words. If you can share a concept in your own words, I don't see a problem with it. I am, however, not an attorney...

PLEASE NOTE MY RED TEXT CHANGES BASED ON SEVERAL CONVERSATION WITH COPYRIGHT ATTORNEYS. That said, you can share a technique - and although according to copyright law it is not a legal requirement, it's simply good manners to mention who you learned it from.

To teach a technique and remain in the law, you construct a separate sample for each step of the process. Lists of materials and their quantities are not copyrighted. Many of my workshop instructors have done this with those tri-fold display panels (thing HUGE blank brochure-like display panel).

Hope this helps.

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