my main beef is having to ask permission to put the quilt in a home town/ribbon winning quilt show...give me abreak, gee whiz...get real.

I believe, that if someone wants to share photo's of their quilts and then say free pattern. That to me, means free. I am free to make that design and if I keep it, give it away or sell it is my business.
If the person with the quilt wants to have a copy write on it, then he or she should not be offering free pattern

I have asked permission twice from designer to use their patterns for humane society and got a Sure that's wonderful from them and a just send me a picture.
I sell belly bands now for dogs and I don't' see how they can say don't sell any from this pattern. Its only two strips of fabric. I figured it out for myself. I did buy a pattern for the girls but found ways it works better and changed it. Haven't sold any of those yet.
No one I know ever wants to pay what the quilts are worth. I even stopped making them for the humane society auction. When I had to bid on one of mine because there was no bids I said that's enough. No more.

I figured if I saw a pattern, liked it, but not the colors, chose my own colors, I am making my original quilt. On the other hand, I won't be showing or selling any quilts, or quilt patterns, so I'm not going to worry about it. If you really make a design, and nothing in it has EVER been used before, and you don't want anyone else to make , use, or sell your design, then don"t sell patterns for it. I feel if you sell it to me, that makes what I do with it mine.

Ditto here. I'm totally fed up with the whole thing.

In our group, if we find something we want to use for a group challenge, we just send each the address. Each person can make their own copy of the design. Then we each make our own quilt--no break of copyright as each prints off their own pattern, and makes their own quilt. These are for our own enjoyment and not for sale.

I can take a traditional pattern (one in public domain) and design a quilt setting using that pattern. I copyright MY instructions and MY setting and MY words. I do not have exclusive rights to the traditional public domain use of that particular block. I can only copyright MY version of that particular pattern. Personally, I always consider it a compliment if someone shows a quilt made from one of my designs. I do appreciate, if they use my pattern, to state that was where the design came from.
For over 40 years I have sketched blocks and settings on graph paper. I am sure that some are the same as others have done. In fact I have gone back in my sketch books and found the same block design, in a magazine or book. How many ways are there to draw lines on graph paper? If anyone else designs that way, why would they not have drawn the same lines?

This is exactly why I started this thread. I do the same thing. I do tweak the patterns quite a bit to make them my own. I don't just change the color, but it's the principal of the thing. I will probably never show a quilt or even sell one, but I think I should be able to do what I want with what I make

the thing that confuses me most about the issue of copyrights is the confusion.

the law itself isn't really all that confusing. it's all the differing opinions that muddy up the waters.

some pattern makers have successfully bullied buyers into believing they can dictate what's done with the finished product. nearly everything i've read from credible sources says that what you make using a pattern is yours to do with as you please.

get 5 lawyers in a room.
each lawyer is working for a different client.
each client has a vested interested in the answer to a question.
now ask the question.

you'll get at least 5 differing opinions - each based on the outcome desired by the clients.

a lawyer who makes his living filing cases on behalf of copyright holders will have armed himself with an arsenal of cases references and interpretations that support his arguments on behalf of his clients.

a lawyer who makes his living defending the accused will have his own quiver of legal arrows.

the judge will sift through all the legalize and gobbledygook and use tests and standards of reasonableness as the basis of his ruling.

seriously, most of the worry is unneccessary. the rules of thumb are so simple:

(1) if you didn't design it, don't say you did. give credit where it's due.
(2) if you didn't create and publish the pattern, don't pass out copies of it. tell your friends where they can get their own.
(3) don't pass out copies of pages from books or magazines. tell your friends where they can get their own.
(4) if you want to enter something into a show, check the rules of that show and follow them.
(5) put yourself in the shoes of the person trying to make an honest living from her talents.
(6) if you want to go professional, invest some time in research. it will be your most valuable tool.

remember The Golden Rule and act accordingly.

see? easy peezy. :-P

I think it should be required that pattern makers who do not wish products sold from their patterns MUST put their wishes on the pattern where it can be readily seen BEFORE purchase. Then we will not buy them. We also need to check all quilting books that are now coming out to be sure they don't have the same statements in them. If we don't purchase their products perhaps they will rethink the whole thing. My current library of quilting books have no such statements and there are plenty of patterns for me to choose from. I also make up a lot of my own patterns so I don't feel that I have to bow to their wishes.