I have this crazy vision in my head of these mags hiring people to scurry all over the country/world in search of quilts that have been made using their designs!
:shock: :twisted:
Just give credit to the designer of the design on the label and let them do their worst.

There are so many things that are similar in nature to this debate:

- recipes. If I follow a recipe out of a book, does that mean I can't sell (or enter in the fair) the product of that recipe?

- art instruction books. If I buy a book, and follow the instructions in it on how to draw a picture, does that mean I can't sell or display publicly the product of that work?

- soap. There's tons of recipes out there for making handmade soap. Does that mean I can't follow someone else's instructions on how to make soap, and then sell the product?

- web design/programming. I speak from this personally. If I follow the instructions in a book on how to do something programming related, does that mean I can't distribute/sell the end product if it includes that code?

It all seems so ridiculous. People/companies sell instructions for items, so that other people can MAKE the product in question. They have copyright over the instructions themselves (meaning I can't copy the instructions and distribute them or sell them), but they should have NO control over the end product, in my opinion.

These quilting magazines that are declaring ownership/control over the quilts that are made from their designs are claiming more control than is given to them from copyright, if you ask me. Just because they say it is so, doesn't make it so.

buying used quilt books from websites, garage sales and this forum - if they contain original quilt projects, is this not a violation? well - queen of violators here then, 'cause i have bought a lot of second hand books etc. call all quilt police...!

Why don't we all just quit buying mags and patterns.

Well, I can answer that for myself at least. I don't see any reason to. They broaden my horizons, I learn tons even if I don't make the quilts inside, and I enjoy them! The things that seem to be annoying so many people on this board don't annoy me at all. I feel like this has become one giant game of telephone - with a lot of assumptions being made that just aren't true. Several people have very clearly and succinctly summarized copyright law for us, and yet the misinformation persists. I, for one, am not going to blame McCall's quilting, Quilter's Home, Fons and Porter, or any designer, for a copyright law that was written by a bunch of politicians in Washington, D.C., and I'm happy to credit and even ask permission of a designer to show his or her quilt if I thought enough of his or her design to make a copy of it.

This is quite true. It is not allowed to copy something as is or in part.
However, nobody can keep you from using a common language (common design elements) to express the same work (work of art) in your unique way.

You cannot copy a painting by Paul Klee brush stroke by graphic element. People do have a rightful commercial interest in a particular unique painting but NOT in a style of painting.

However, YOU CAN paint in the same style using the same style elements in your way.

A quilt is a work of art. The artists use common generally known elements. These elements are NOT copyrighted like language cannot be copyrighted (copying somebody's assay is a totally different matter. Claiming copyrights on the elements in a work of art and claiming infringement because somebody used commonly known and commonly available (not new or unique) elements is not as easy as some designers would like the public to believe.)

I think if you design a pattern and then publish it worldwide, then it is for the world to use as they see fit. Just my opinion.

I stopped buying quilt patterns or magazines. This way, anything I do is MINE! I gave credit on the label of my 'Happy Hearts' quilt, to the person I bought the precut from, the lady who LQ ed it, and myself. Unlike others...quiltzilas...I don't have the ego it takes, to not share credit.

The copyright laws will not let you get away with making just a change to the design. And no, you can't do it and call it your own from the picture. These people deserve to be paid for their creativity. All you have to do is have each person print they mystery or block instead of copying it for everyone. I thought quilters were honest people who played by the rules. Magazines wouldn't have the statement if they weren't being broken by many people.

They deserve to be paid for their creativity, they don't deserve a royalty everytime I sell a quilt!