copyright and use of a pattern
 

If I buy a pattern or a book with quilt patterns can I make an item and then sell it say in a Quilt Show boutique for my guild?

I'm pretty sure you can, just put a label on the back with the name and designer of the pattern.

some patterns will say for personal use only. i'd check with that designer about sales. i think it may refer to large commercial sales, but i'm not an attorney. the copyright is generally for the pattern itself... cannot copy and share/sell it.

yes. you may.

The pattern is copyrighted. What you Make from the pattern is yours to do with as you wish, as long as it isn't mass-produced for profit.

What you can't do is copy any parts of the pattern and give those away free of charge or sell them. The printed pattern is copyrighted, which means only the copyright owner can copy it. If you read copyright law, you'll see that you also need permission to display that printed pattern publicly, too. (This would be more applicable to a movie or tv show, like a quilt show on dvd.) But you can display what you made, (which is not the copyrighted printed pattern itself.) You can sell what you made. You can give what you made away free of charge.

When you are confused about copyright law, just think of how it applies to books and it will become clear. You pay for a book, which you can then resell or give away free of charge, but you can not make copies of any part of the book, neither to sell, or give away free of charge.

Love your book analogy. Great advice.

Consider your fabric choices too, in this discussion.

Some come with copyright protection in the selvage re re-sales.
Particularly the Disney prints.

Just because they say so doesn't mean they can make it stick.

http://www.tabberone.com/Trademarks/...edFabric.shtml

There's a lot of discussion about this issue. I don't see how someone who writes a "pattern" for an old block (log cabin, 9 patch, etc) can claim that you are infringing on their copyright if you sell a log cabin quilt. It wasn't "theirs" in the first place. This is one reason I never buy patterns, I do not like someone charging $8+ for a "pattern" that is obviously not their idea. Sure, if it's original applique shapes or something like that, but not for the old blocks. I've seen very high price tags on patterns for simple squares sewn together!

Disney...they have the money and will hunt you down if you get noticed, ask some (former) Etsy sellers. I never buy licensed fabrics either.