I just received an online e-mail to re-up my subscription with 2 free gifts. I also got one in the mail. No free gifts. I am going to send back the form in their postage paid envelope saying I am not renewing my subscription and why.

Good Job Bobbin Along. Glad to hear it. Although, if you read the copyright thing in the beginning of McCalls mag, they hold part of the rights to what is published in their mag. One more reason to reconsider making patterns from magazines.

I have to agree with Conniequilts and quiltmaker. How can they be new and how can you claim them as your "original" work?

As many have said, there are just way too many blocks out in the public domain with instructions on how to make them. So, what ever would you need to buy a magazine and use a pattern out of it to copy something someone else did? also, just learned my Mother just bought me three quilting books. Two of them have the same copyright statement in them and the third one has no copyright statement in it anywhere. She said she went thru it 3 times with a magnifying glass and couldn't find anything. Now that's a book I want and will use. Somebody's got the right idea.

I keep thinking about something:
When a designer writes on his/her pattern (Only for personal use, may not sell items made from this pattern.) I can't help but think about what happens in the future.
For example, suppose I really like a pattern and I make 5 or 6 quilts. I just put them in my stash and they stay there until I die. Okay now say I have a mean Uncle Harry (I don't) and he doesn't want anything I made. So he sells the quilts to get the money because he is mean and greedy, or he auctions them off with the rest of my stuff. Now according to their copywright, Mean Uncle Harry is breaking the law and doesn't even know about it. How would they like to handle this, or does he catch a break because he is dumb.

If your uncle Harry sells the quilt he is not the person who made it so he wouldn't know about the restriction and can't be charged with any copy right in fringment.

Deborah12687 Thank you! That makes sense, but I can see abuse coming with these types of situations. "I didn't know!" said the little old gentleman.

I think these laws need to rewritten like someone else said, but I don't see that happening any time soon.

Those are great articles! Thank you for posting the links.

Doesn't apply to me, I give almost all of my quilts away.
I don't take any quilting magazines and haven't for years. Not renewing anyother mag.s I get, too busy making quilts and get tired of them laying around.

Sorry guys. Read all of the posts and the articles sited still can't figure it out. I understand why a teacher using someone elses pattern should get the permission of the designer before using it in a class but what about say posting a picture on this web site. Would I have to get the designers written permission? Would just naming her book, much like a footnote in a thesis, satify any legal obligation?