copyrights
 

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.

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.

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"

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.