Originally Posted by
Bree123
Sherry,
Design patents are granted for 14 years and are non-renewable. Copyright on design lasts for 10 years & if rights are infringed, the copyright holder must then register their design in order to file suit. Perhaps that is what the guy who posted the website was referring to. You cannot enforce a copyright unless you apply for a patent by registering your copyrighted design with the USPTO, or similar organization in another country.
Most quilt patterns in the US are protected by the US copyright, which lasts the lifetime of the author plus 70 years. Many of the rules regarding US copyright are different from those given by the source quoted above.