vickig626

my quilt instructor told me that if you take a pattern you like and want to make your own spin on it, you need to change it by at least 30% from the original...then it becomes your own. Sometimes when I find a purse or bag pattern I like, the instructions can be horrible. I showed her how I had to rewrite the instructions (for myself) then end up making a lot of changes to the pattern, she said it's now my pattern because of the amount of changes made. The bag looks similar but quite a bit different from the original. Not sure if this helps or not but thought I'd pass this along.

BettyGee

EQ7 is a program designed to allow you to create. Selling someone's intellectual property using your name is illegal. Using a program designed to allow you to create your own design is not infringing on someone else's rights.

justflyingin

That is for sure. What crazy reasoning she had for not taking pictures! I guess people are really insecure. With so many design ideas out there, a person who wants to design and not buy their own patterns, will. Designers need to realize that and just market their stuff to people who don't want to design their own and don't worry about the rest.

Restricting pictures because you might copy it? That's pretty crazy, IMO.

TeresaS

Perfect explanation! i would be half of these quilts are not copyright..Its more someone does not want them to copy their work. I feel it is the best form of flattery myself

lots2do

Sometimes picture taking is restricted at shows also to protect quilts too. Also picture taking does make sense at times. And people do copy designs from pictures all the time so it can impact pattern sales in MHO. But it should be handled in a civil way. If you buy the pattern, the rule should be bent so that you can take a photo. Usually at booths at quilt shows, you are also asked not to take photos.

Geri B

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When we visited the quilt museum in Paducah, we were told not to take photos......I could understand the "flash".....who uses cameras anymore, anyway, daughter used her smartphone, was seen doing that and was told to cease or leave.....needless to say she ceased. Just wanted to show them to friends back home...as we were leaving we noticed a "book of quilts" being sold at front desk....go figure!

bunniequilter

Considering the nature of the product (EQ) the use of the blocks in the program are yours to do with as you wish.

snipforfun

I took a class in copyright law during my legal career. There are different restrictions for different things and different expiration dates for copyrights. For quilting it is very long time. The key word regarding art/quilting is COPY. Also if a designer wants to pursue legal action, he/she must have the copyright actually registered. Most homegrown quilters do not. Putting the copyright symbol is not enough. Also techniques i.e. paper piecing, fusible applique, binding, etc. cannot be copyrighted, only the written word. Designers have no defense by making statements such as, you can only make one, you cannot give this away, etc. etc. there are some fabric companies you dont want to take a chance with if you are planning to sell items as they have the resources to pursue legal action and they do! I.e. Disney and national sports teams. I "heard second hand" that if someone walks into Disneyland with a homemade item made with a character fabric, they will confiscate it. Notice that in Joanns their chacter fabric is in a separate section. Instead of asking legal type questions here try google for more accurate info. Google quilt copyright law and you will get several choices. This one is pretty straight forward. http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/...Quilting.shtml

The other thing is about the moral factor. When I teach quilt classes from a pattern, I think it is only fair to the designer to have class members buy the pattern. I refuse to COPY a pattern or change it with other wording and hand it out. I must say though that I think the price of hand scribbled 2 xeroxed pages has gotten out of hand!

ghostrider

Your quilt instructor is wrong, just plain wrong. If the derivative work (your 'changed' version) can be identified as being derived from the original work at all, it is a copyright violation. There is no set amount of change involved.


As a general rule, for work created after January 1, 1978, it is the life of the copyright holder plus 70 years.
http://copyright.cornell.edu/resources/publicdomain.cfm

gabeway

It is only a violation if you are selling them for a profit.