Mimi01

Hi,

There is a "snail trail" quilt in this months McAlls. THis pattern is also on Quilter Cahe website and on the cover of a book in my LQS. Who owns this copyright. I have seen this pattern around forever.

dunster

The snails trail itself is in the public domain - no one owns the copyright. In many cases the design of a quilt or quilt block is not what the copyright covers. What is covered is the written instructions and any accompanying artwork or photographs.

Mimi01

OK so this pattern is paperpieced and I would like to teach a class using this pattern but will not paperpiece it.
I will write my own directions. Will I be arrested by the "quilt police"

charsuewilson

The instructions in the McCalls Magazine would be copyrighted. This means that you cannot make 10 copies, distribute them to a group of quilters and get together to teach each other how to make the block/quilt in the same way as the magazine. You can require that these 10 people BUY a copy of the magazine and get together and teach each other how to do it by the method in McCalls magazine.

OR you can follow the instructions for quilterscache.com which i believe say that you can make the same 10 copies to use for a class and use her instructions, as long as you leave Marsha's copyright showing.

Tartan

If you draw out pattern that is the public domain and write up your own instruction, you can use it.