Question re sharing discontinued patterns...
12-08-2020, 11:04 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,395
GIVING is perfectly legal. Making copies and distributing isn't, whether you're making money off them or not.
I recently got into a huge "discussion" about this on a FB group where we were all supposed to be sharing our Christmas cookie recipes. Someone posted pictures of an entire cookbook, all 75 or so pages of it. I pointed out that this was a copyright violation and could get the group shut down. One person actually justified it by telling me teachers do it all the time. That doesn't make it right!
I recently got into a huge "discussion" about this on a FB group where we were all supposed to be sharing our Christmas cookie recipes. Someone posted pictures of an entire cookbook, all 75 or so pages of it. I pointed out that this was a copyright violation and could get the group shut down. One person actually justified it by telling me teachers do it all the time. That doesn't make it right!
12-10-2020, 10:21 AM
#23
Junior Member
Join Date: Dec 2019
Posts: 142
Originally Posted by Mdegenhart
Do you buy an out-of-print book to read and think it is okay to make ten photocopies for your friends?
In this context, I guess that'd be closest to an in-person gathering that passes around one person's copy of a pattern. Which isn't to say people couldn't make their own copies by, say, taking a picture of the pattern or writing it down (just like my friends who borrow my books could do the same thing with those if they were inclined)
11-27-2022, 12:55 AM
#25
Member
Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Scotland
Posts: 29
If you want to start a group for making quilts together, pick a pattern that everyone can get hold of easily and affordably. Falling in love with a quilt pattern and wanting to start a group are not things that necessarily fit together. Photocopying your pattern doesn't sound like it's legal, and we have a reason for copyright laws, they protect authors, who make little enough from their work. That said, if it's a copy of a few pages of a book, rather than an individually sold pattern, check whether this comes under "fair use". I've bought patterns for a couple of things like quilted mittens, but not for quilts, as I design my own, so I'm not sure here.
As for what teachers do, when I was at uni, the tutor who set us plays which were decades out of print (but there was one copy hidden in an anthology you couldn't take out of the library, if you knew how to look for it) had students who couldn't do the work and needed student union intervention to get the tutor to make the course passable. Whereas the tutor who always made sure every single text was easily available to purchase for a good price, which included pulling a text one year when it was hard to get hold of, had students who engaged with the course well, and was generally a good teacher. Photocopying was within the "fair use" limits, which I think are no more than 5% of a book. Sadly, the first tutor had tenure on the strength of his published research, so he could teach as badly as he liked, and also get away with being bigoted and creepy, while the second was still early on in her career, and despite being an excellent teacher, wasn't on a permanent contract.
As for what teachers do, when I was at uni, the tutor who set us plays which were decades out of print (but there was one copy hidden in an anthology you couldn't take out of the library, if you knew how to look for it) had students who couldn't do the work and needed student union intervention to get the tutor to make the course passable. Whereas the tutor who always made sure every single text was easily available to purchase for a good price, which included pulling a text one year when it was hard to get hold of, had students who engaged with the course well, and was generally a good teacher. Photocopying was within the "fair use" limits, which I think are no more than 5% of a book. Sadly, the first tutor had tenure on the strength of his published research, so he could teach as badly as he liked, and also get away with being bigoted and creepy, while the second was still early on in her career, and despite being an excellent teacher, wasn't on a permanent contract.
11-27-2022, 01:12 PM
#26
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,395
Originally Posted by ToBoldlyQuilt
As for what teachers do, when I was at uni, the tutor who set us plays which were decades out of print (but there was one copy hidden in an anthology you couldn't take out of the library, if you knew how to look for it) had students who couldn't do the work and needed student union intervention to get the tutor to make the course passable. Whereas the tutor who always made sure every single text was easily available to purchase for a good price, which included pulling a text one year when it was hard to get hold of, had students who engaged with the course well, and was generally a good teacher. Photocopying was within the "fair use" limits, which I think are no more than 5% of a book. Sadly, the first tutor had tenure on the strength of his published research, so he could teach as badly as he liked, and also get away with being bigoted and creepy, while the second was still early on in her career, and despite being an excellent teacher, wasn't on a permanent contract.
11-28-2022, 07:33 PM
#27
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: USA
Posts: 377
USA Law ONLY. Hope this helps everyone.
Also Some text books for school teachers ARE allowed to be copied for classroom use only
I used to sub for my one cousin and she had several teacher worksheet books tha had the above statement in bold letters. Some also gave a limited number of pages that could be copied before being required to purchase a new book. My cousin usually purchased 5 books that could be copied like that just in case the publisher pulled the books.
How long does a copyright last?The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors. To determine the length of copyright protection for a particular work, consult chapter 3 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the United States Code). More information on the term of copyright can be found in Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright, and Circular 1, Copyright Basics.
Do I have to renew my copyright?No. Works created on or after January 1, 1978, are not subject to renewal registration. As to works published or registered prior to January 1, 1978, renewal registration is optional after 28 years but does provide certain legal advantages. For information on how to file a renewal application as well as the legal benefit for doing so, see Circular 15, Renewal of Copyright, and Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright.
Also Some text books for school teachers ARE allowed to be copied for classroom use only
I used to sub for my one cousin and she had several teacher worksheet books tha had the above statement in bold letters. Some also gave a limited number of pages that could be copied before being required to purchase a new book. My cousin usually purchased 5 books that could be copied like that just in case the publisher pulled the books.
How long does a copyright last?The term of copyright for a particular work depends on several factors, including whether it has been published, and, if so, the date of first publication. As a general rule, for works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection lasts for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years. For an anonymous work, a pseudonymous work, or a work made for hire, the copyright endures for a term of 95 years from the year of its first publication or a term of 120 years from the year of its creation, whichever expires first. For works first published prior to 1978, the term will vary depending on several factors. To determine the length of copyright protection for a particular work, consult chapter 3 of the Copyright Act (title 17 of the United States Code). More information on the term of copyright can be found in Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright, and Circular 1, Copyright Basics.
Do I have to renew my copyright?No. Works created on or after January 1, 1978, are not subject to renewal registration. As to works published or registered prior to January 1, 1978, renewal registration is optional after 28 years but does provide certain legal advantages. For information on how to file a renewal application as well as the legal benefit for doing so, see Circular 15, Renewal of Copyright, and Circular 15a, Duration of Copyright.
