Does anyone know howto copy write a pattern. I have several I'd like to get out there and I'm new at this. How do you go about it.

I will be "listening" - and how do we find a publisher??

Just put copyright material owned by __________ and put the usual do nots on the package. That's all blogger do that design patterns to sell on their blogs. If there is a picture of the pattern anywhere online it can be duplicated in EQ7. This is where the instructions and piecing methods are the key to getting someone to buy a pattern.

I would check with a lawyer who specializes in copyright law. Or at least look on a legal web sight to see what it says.

All you have to do is to claim a copyright on your intellectual property. To do this, put the following notice on each page of your pattern:

Copyright © 2010, [yourcompany or name]. All rights reserved.

You'll want to update your notice each year. The "All rights reserved" part covers all those "do not do this, and do not do that" things that some people are fond of putting all over the place. Those are really just wastes of space unless you feel your audience needs an education about what they can and can't do with your pattern.

Copyright notices and copyrights are only as good as your ability to enforce them, however. If you see your work being copied you can do anything up to and including a lawsuit to try to get justice, but you won't find any law enforcement agency to help you when there is a violation of your copyright.

ha ha unless you are Disney!

Don't quite know what you mean, but Disney, and every other large company that deals in intellectual property, keeps teams of researchers and lawyers on staff to enforce their copyrights, patents and trademarks.

There is no government agency that does that, for Disney or anyone else. The only exception is for counterfeit goods, which is a different subject...

I just copyrighted my Swish! bargello pattern. You can go to the U.S. Copyright Office website to get all the information. Here's the link:

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/

It is actually pretty simple to do. It costs $35.00. You fill out an online application, pay through a government place (alot like Paypal), and then submit pictures of your completed pattern and item. I applied 2 months ago and just got my Certificate of Copyright Saturday in the mail.

The application is actually pretty simple. There is a tute on it, explaining how to do it, and then it also explains every step along the way as you are doing it. I was nervous for nothing. Let me know if I can help you in any other way.

Good Luck!
Marilyn

I just posted about this for you.

I don't know about this one. I'll see what I can find out from a friend who has published a book of quilt patterns that lives here.

I'm not sure that I'd go about it this way. Here's some reasons from the US Copyright Office.


Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.”

Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within 5 years of publication, it is considered prima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.

This is correct. In most cases though, registering a copyright is a waste of money, because you still have to defend (pay to defend) your copyright.

So, someone violates your copyright. Now you need to decide if you want to pay a lawyer thousands of dollars to defend a work that brings you (x) amount of income. If it's worth it, you can always register your copyright after the fact, then prove in court that it was published at the point it was indeed published.

Also, in intellectual property, there doesn't have to be much changed to constitute an "original work." This means that someone can copy your idea, make a few minor changes to it, and publish it under their own copyright, staying perfectly legal in the process.

In most cases, in our type of business, you're going to be defending your copyrights mainly through the use of "cease and desist" letters rather than through expensive lawsuits.

It's your choice as to whether you feel it's worth the fee to register your copyright. Just remember, if you want that level of "protection" you need to re-register (and pay another fee) every time your work changes substantially, like if you revise your pattern.

In practice, your level of protection is about the same whether or not you pay a fee to the government...

Wow thanks everyone!!!! Great info

sorry you are all wrong there is a lot to a copyright you can write it on a piece of papaer that is what it is worth i learned the hard way.
i had a pattern i did as all of you said when i saw my pattern for sale in a store i tried to sue
end of story they wone i did not have a registered copy right if you truely want a copy right consult an attorney and get it registered with the fedral goverment.
you are then protected it will cost about 4 thousand when all is said and done you copy right will have to be specified how long it will last usally about 10 years.
good luck i wish i had gone through all the steps to my stuff

i did a google search and found this web site it explains copy right and when it is protected.
copyright.gov
i am shure it will have all your answers it also has the fourms you will need to do a registered copy right
the other thing you will need to do or have someone help you search all patterns like your to make shure that there is not one like your already copyrote there was another pattern i was going to copy right i got a letter back that said my pattern was already done.
good luck it is well worth getting your copyright
god bless you and yours