A couple of days ago there was a post about sharing a pattern. I admire the new ideas and blocks that people put together and certainly my stash of magazines, books, patterns attest to that. And, yes, a specific new block or technique should be credited and paid for.

My vent is that I have seen a lot of "patterns" lately that use old, traditonal blocks or ideas... for example, chinese coins with Jelly Roll strips or charm squares or layer cakes, etc. Now if someone wants to write instructions about doing that pattern with one of these pre-cuts, okay.... but I don't feel obliged to "credit" them if I make a Chinese coin quilt using a jelly roll if I don't use their pattern instructions. It doesn't seem right that just because they wrote up instructions means they own the credit for using a jellyroll in a Chinese coin quilt. And if a fellow quilter asks me to show her how I did it and figured things out, I will tell her if I want to -- and I usually do because infecting someone else with this "disease" is fun!! These precuts save quilters a lot of time chosing fabrics and cutting... but using them in some traditional block/quilt and claiming that credit is owed seems ridiculous to me.

I have seen "patterns" for D9P set on point, -- anything set on point, double 4 patch, etc. I have sewn a long time, and yes, it takes time to figure out how I am going to cut and piece something and therefore how much fabric I need. But that is part of the pleasure for me.

I hate to think that as I "mess around" with my fabric and graph paper or more sophisticated tools, I have to be constantly aware or do research about whether anyone has copyrighted something similar -- particularly if I am selling the finished project.

Thanks for listening... guess I needed to get his off my mind and heart.

I have done the search on copyright discussions on this board and read thru them. the link for http://qnm.com/copyright/index.html
is no longer active so if someone knows how to get to that again, I would love to read that....

I do not believe any credit is due to them.

Please go to this site for correct info:

http://www.copyright.gov/

If I have a pattern or book someone wants to borrow I lend it to them. I won't make copies of it but if letting someone borrow the original is breaking the law, I don't lose sleep over it.

I do too!

So photocopying a page of a magazine for someone is that copyright abuse??

I think all this copyrighting stuff is for the birds!!! Yes we all know these patterns are claimed by someone. We all use these patterns but it is the QUILT that is ours to claim!!!

I agree!

According to this site, a technique cannot be copyright.

"Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts and schemes. Rather, it protects the manner in which the idea or information is expressed". Copyright does not protect techniques. thus, while you may verbally share with your friends what you did in a workshop(a), to photocopy the notes for them(b) is infringement of copyright....

http://www.quilt.com/FAQS/CopyrightFAQ.html#An1

So if someone has a TECHNIQUE for using jelly rolls to make a public domain block like an Ohio Star, that technique is not copyright. What is copyright is the book or other publication itself.

Think about this one.
I check out quilting books from the Library and make copies of the quilts I like.

It would be pretty darn hard to go back and credit a pioneer woman. After seeing some antique quilts in a show, I've discovered there's not many "techniques" that are new....just "unremembered". I don't sweat it. Besides, anyone that wants to sue me is in for a big surprise ---- and no money!!!!

Following the "laws" are not always easy. I think if you change a pattern or do it differently does not make it the same as the original. I have heard there are no quilt police and choose to believe it. As long as you don't publish it who's to know or care?

i think this is the post you were referring to.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-39263-1.htm

Did you really want us to think about it? Copying from a book is a clear violation of copyright. We are allowed to make copies of a few pages from books only under certain circumstances (for personal study, scholarship, research, or teaching needs). We are not allowed to copy something as a substitute for purchasing it. It's the same as stealing.

Lending a pattern or book is okay. That isn't copying.

As far as magazines, I picked up a quilting magazine at random (Fons & Porter's Love of Quilting) and right away found a copyright statement inside - "no part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher..." So yes, it is a copyright violation. If your friend needs something from the magazine, she should buy it, or you can loan or give her your copy. You can even tear out just the pages she is interested in and give them to her. Most magazine publishers don't have the time, resources or motivation to track down violators, but that doesn't mean it's ethical to copy from a magazine.

Actually, the more I read about copyright, the easier I think it is to understand. It actually makes sense. If someone writes something, she has the RIGHT to control the COPIES.

As far as whether a quilt design described in a pattern is itself copyrighted - only if it's an original design. (If I write a book about elephants, that doesn't mean I own the copyright on elephants! But you can't copy pages from my book, because I do own the copyright on that.)

Another good source of info - http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/copylaw.htm
<end of rant in response to the copyright vent> ;-)

My copyright "outrage" has to do with antique redwork & other embroidery designs. If someone obtains an old embroidered piece, I don't believe that gives him/her the right to copy the design, copyright it as theirs, and sell it for $15.00. In my opinion that is stealing. Antique patterns are in the public domain and should remain so. Original work is entirely another matter. If I buy a pattern, I would share it with a friend, but wouldn't copy and pass it around to a large number of people.

So if I understand this correctly I should copy what I need from the magazine and send the magazine on and not the copy.

??? No, you should not copy from the magazine.

Are you sure that the person who is selling the pattern is claiming the design as her own? Copyright does not give her that privilege. More likely, she is claiming a copyright on the *pattern*, meaning the drawings/instructions/etc.

Dunster that is a great icon. I'm really loving it.

I don't believe you can copyright something that is already in the public domain.

this is a good thread. I've enjoyed reading it.

i say....who cares??? who is going to track down all of us quilters and sue us for using their design or whatever??!!! i figure as long as your not making a thousand quilts and selling them at huge profit--no one cares!!

The person who cares is the designer you're ripping off, that's who.

Then why does the Library have so many pattern books?
You also get DVDs to watch for free,that they check out to countless people. They have copyright laws on them too. Is the Library exempt? They also have music CDs and books on CD.
You check out books that you did not buy and read them for free also.
Im just coureous to know, seems the owners are losing alot of profit from sales because of the Library.

Good point.

I think many people are way over thinking this. Sometimes I get really tired of the copyright police.

I lend my magazines, but they are my magazines. My friend makes it from my magazine, gives me back the magazine. I lend it to someone else. Come on guys, we aren't using these to teach a class, sale the quilt. Sometimes it is a common block with a different border or color. I get ideas from other peoples quilt use the same block, which is a common block different color, different border. Also the fabric designer sites have great PDF patterns, even showing what fabrics, that everybody and their brother downloads

Copying is copying. When you check out a DVD and watch it you are not copying it. When you check out a book and read it you are not copying it. You do realize that copying it would be a crime, though, right? Same for quilting books.

Yes of course but Im still curious why its alright to loan out a video hundreds of times.
Also you do not have time to make a quilt when checking out the book so it is necessary to copy the pattern. Why would they have the book if you could not use it?

You can usually keep a book out for 3 weeks and then renew it once or twice, plenty of time to make a quilt. You can learn about different methods from reading the instructions in a book. Or you can get inspiration from the quilts in the book. Several times I checked out a book to see if it was something I would want to refer to again and again, and if it was I bought the book.

Because libraries pay royalties and usage fees to book publishers. That's why the have to pay so much more for a book than you can buy it thru Amazon.

We solved the copyright problem by purchasing patterns and books as a quilt guild and eveyone uses them.

You just opened a can of........oh who cares...LOL! I am with you girl!!!:^)

Oh yes I second that motion. If eveyone is buy and traiding I don't think it matters.

Oh please.......you can go to the Library and copy whatever you want to.....and you have to pay for the copies at the desk whereby the Librarian has to look at them and count the pages to tally up your total.

This is bordering on funny. I get the point and I don't purposely go out and copy patterns and such but geeeeeeez.

I still say it is a compliment to the designer and the designer should be given props for the design if used.

Disclaimer:

Please flame with quilt patterns.....LOL!

I posted Rainforest Rings a couple of weeks ago, I used the exact fabric on the pattern. I showed the pattern and gave the name of the designer. She was great with it and even went in and looked at and was very pleased.

I think we are beating a dead horse. Get over it.

really good point

yes, I too have done this, I like the book so much that I end up buying my own.