Hey people, chill! No one has ever, to my knowledge, claimed the copyright to the design of a block that they did not in fact invent. The written instructions are all that are copyrighted - the words on the page, together with any original art work or photographs. Not the method of construction, not the block, just that particular set of words and art work. Don't complain about a problem that doesn't exist.

Example: I wrote a pattern for the quilt in my avatar. I didn't invent the diamond log cabin design, and never claimed to. Part of my setting may be original to me, but I don't even know that for sure. But my pattern is copyright protected, because it is original. I put together the words and the pictures. That can't be legally copied by someone else, but anyone can make a quilt like mine, and they can do it with or without my pattern, with or without my methods of construction.

Thanks for that dunster. That's the best explanation I've heard.Certainly makes it clear. Is there a way to keep your answer at the top of a thread where hopefully all new quilters would see it?

Now just when I thought I could write a book called 75 Wonderful Quilts to Make, and then photograph my favorite quilts from the books in the library and the instructions on how to do them - and solve my current "how to pay the higher gas prices problem" I find out the pictures and instructions are copyrighted. So I have to make my own 75 wonderful quilts, write my own words, take my own pictures and then make my books.
THAT makes sense. That's why we have copyright laws.

I agree with everything said as I have been quilting for 30 plus years and after that article in McCalls I quit all magazines
subscritions as most all patterns today are spinoffs we have dicussed it in groups if there is such a thing as copyright how can they do all these spinoffs just to name a few origninal stack and whack spinoff oneblock wonder---orignial Square Dance spinoff twister also someone is doing a spinoff of Maggie Walkers cats now I see Judy Niemeyer has someone doing a spinoff of hers and oh yes I took a class from Sara Nephew years ago on the baby block one with no "Y" seams now there is a spinoff and that is just naming a few so if anyone can explain copyright I am all ears

No, If you try to copyright it with 8 fabrics you pick out, the fabric people will probably come after you for infringing on their copyrights!!! LOL! There's no winning in this day of self-preservation.

Funny this should come up . When I was at the quilt show this weekend I bought a ruler from Marilyn Doheny. There is a pattern that is copy righted that a lot of people are making as a table topper. However one person who put together the pattern took it right off her website, where Marilyn was offering it for free, took her own pictures, named it ,and copyrighted it and sold the pattern for $10 . The pattern is made with a 9° ruler. Marilyn said , take her instructions teach them to your friends, guilds, groups .But don't try to package and resell as your own. And yes she is dealing with it right now.

so what is copyright they just don't want us exchanging patterns with friends but I trade all the time we never did until we see all of the stuff but now we figure if these people make spinoffs for money we can sure trade with friend but my heart does go out to these people that worked for the original pattern just to have it stolen for spinoffs

A few months ago someone was asking about a certain well published block. I casually stated that I had figured out the dimensions for the half square triangles and flying geese. The person who is marketing this block told me I had to take my post down as it was her block. Hmmmmm. That is why I always recommend the Carpenter's Wheel on here - it really is the same as the one that rhymes with doom.

It is just like the instructions for the block and entire process for making a "Twister" quilt were fully published in a 1990's Australian magazine. The acrylic block and their written instructions/patterns are copyrighted. I dont know the ins and outs of foreign usage and copyrights but it was years before Twister was born.

have always wondered that too