If you see this silly stuff posted on a pattern, don't buy it! That's the best way to shut them down.

That "SIlly stuff" is posted on 99.99% of books and patterns. How would you like it if you designed a pattern and sold it and someone "copied " your design and then sold it as their own? Or gave it away so you do not get profit from sale of pattern. If you are selling your pattern then you must want the money or you would give it away "free". If you think about it most quilts patterns are made up bascially the same blocks but just put in different order. Even if you make an original using EQ or you own paper there is probably someone in the world who has the same design. If you want to "sell" or "donate" a quilt from a pattern with the copyright statemnt on it the ASK the designer if you can use the pattern! If she says "yes" then great and if she says "no " then choose another pattern! Most of the time you can get away with not asking permission to use a pattern to sell because who is going to find out.

If I bought a pattern then it is mine and I will do what I want with it, as long as I don't copy the pattern and try to sell it as my own. Any way I looked at her patterns and they are nothing startling, I wouldn't buy them.

To me the main problem of her site is the when you go to her page the first thing that hits you in large print is the warning "it is illegal, etc" So right away a person is put on the defendsive & made to feel they are doing something illegal before they even look at the patterns. Very uncomfortable. The "It's Illegal" print is so much larger than the photos of the patterns or the descriptions. At many sites the first thing you see when opening the page is something to effect of "thank-you for looking or Welcome" .
I can understand why she wants her patterns protected, so not arguing that but maybe it could be explained a little gentler. I couldn't buy from her because my first impression was "OMG, she thinks I'm a crook for even looking at the page"

Interesting read. I have never sold a quilt and I never plan on doing so. I have given away almost every quilt I have ever made. However, even if I was madly in love with Diane's designs, I wouldn't buy her patterns. The 2 pages of copyright stuff was a real turn off. What I thought of was, I give a quilt made with her pattern, to my BF daughter as a wedding gift, daughter posts a picture of said quilt on a social media site, then picture gets shared with others, you get the picture and the next thing I know the copyright police are at my door. No thanks, I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Star Quilts copyright
 

It is not OK to copy a pattern or book and resell it as yours. I would not think of taking away someone's profit from their pattern selling. However, after that purchase, the use, making, donating and selling of the item made from the pattern, is fine.

It is obvious that Diane was very bothered by the lady who made quilts from her pattern and put them on ebay or etsy. I'm not sure how she knew they were her patterns if it is the Lone Star quilts I see on her site. The fact that ebay took them off of their site gives no credence to Diane's claim of copyright....they did not want the hassle or feuding over the posting.

The lady might have copied Diane's photograph to use on ebay to sell her own Lone Star quilt. That seems to be what Diane was upset about. What would Diane have done if it was the most beautiful Lone Star quilt ever made and she mentioned Diane's pattern, would she be telling Ebay to take it off their site?

Bottom line, Diane needs to read and understand US copyright law. If she cannot, then hire that attorney.

After reading the posts it sounds like Diane may be in copyright infringement by declaring someone else's design as hers. A Lone Star is a Lone Star, is a Lone Star. The variation of color, fabric and technique doesn't change the Lone Star Design....which IS NOT DIANE'S TO CLAIM.


]as I was looking for "star" quilts I came across this site that has a discussion on copy-right laws. Very interesting!!! !http://www.nativeamericanstarquilts.net/Patterns.htm Click on "copyright" to read.[/QUOTE]

When I first read Diane's rules I thought that she had made them up. But then if you click on the subsequent pages, it lists other quilting boards that have about the same copyright discussions. I recently went to a quit show and noticed that for the first time in a long time the descriptions listed the source of the pattern.

How come we can take pictures at quilt shows without breaking copyright laws??

When I finish a quilt, I always include the pattern maker on the label, that is acknowlegement enough ( I think) and what is she going to do, go around to EVERY quilt display playing quilt police?

Not only should she not sell the pattern, she should not post a photo or even a description of her quilt/pattern, because people often copy what they see. And how in this big wide world would she ever be able to know ifsomeone did that? There's often a general misunderstanding of the intellectual property law.

Exactly. McCall's and Simplicity sell patterns for clothing and people buy them, make the clothing and sometimes sell the clothing made from the pattern. McCall's and Simplicity have no claim on the profit from those sales. But if someone repackaged the pattern and sold it as their own design, then McCall's and/or Simplicity could come after them. Many things are in the public domain and seems to me a lot of quilt patterns are, as the poster who pointed out that a Lone Star is a Lone Star is a Lone Star.