Country1

Do they only think that quilters only quilt for themselves? I will not buy any if it says that on it. You would think they would be proud that someone bought it and then someone else liked it enough to but it again. Are they not wanting their product made into beautiful works of art. Does this mean we can't make items for family members as well, it is not for personal use?

QuiltE

As mentioned earlier in this thread ... it's about licensing. It's kind of like a "franchise" (a bit of a stretch, I know!) but hear me out!!! ....... you can't put up a pair of golden arches and open up McD's. For the fabric, etc. they have licensing arrangements with people as to how it can be used.

Eg. John Deere Fabric ... you could buy it and make things to sell. However, at the same time they have given someone the rights to use their logo for commercial goods. Thus, if you are selling things, then you are stomping on their business ..... even if it's something totally unrelated, potentially the customer might buy your Bow Tucks as a Christmas gift, instead of buying a sweatshirt.

And yes, I recognize that some of the fabrics are not famed characters/logos .... though I would think the same concept applies for the others. The designer perhaps has been commissioned to design a line for someone else ... or even further businesses of their own.

Probably fits into the same realm as all the copyright laws for not photocopying from books, or photographers photos.

mariebaker

third it

simplyme

I think I will just avoid the whole thing. There is a large supply of fabric without any restrictions and I will stick to that. If I am going to purchase something I want to be able to do anything I want with it. They can just keep it all.

true4uca

I would not buy fabric with this on the selvage. If I gift an item with this on the selvage & that person sells it am I still going to be sued.

QuiltE

While on this discussion .... remember some of your patterns will also say on them, that you can only use it for personal use, or non-commercial ... or some might even give a max that you can make and sell, to somewhat define the border between a hobby sales venture vs. a full out commercial business.

Grace creates

Yea, they do seem somewhat greedy and they have that right, but I also have the right to not purchase fabric that has that printed on it. All of this copyrighting is just going to far. Americans seem to want to buy from Americans and now they are trying to take our right to make something and sell it. Absurd and I think I will start passing on that fabric even if it is a gift I'm making principle of the thing.

Grandma58

I agree with you. What in the world do I want to buy fabric for if I can not use it however I choose. ??????

Prism99

I think this is going much farther than licensing of images (Disney, John Deere, etc.). It is the designers who are starting to kick up a fuss about infringement of copyright. See this recent thread:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...y-t168936.html
I visited the website to check this out before the link was deleted, and I can't find it again, so I may not have all the details straight. This is a quilter who published a book of patterns with fabrics donated to her by manufacturers. She and her publisher are being sued by a fabric designer of one of the fabrics that was used in one of the quilts in her book. My best guess is that the designer of the fabric did not sell design rights to the manufacturer, but rather just sold them the right to print and sell the fabric. The manufacturer has declined to become involved. The publisher is going to bat for both themselves and the quilter who wrote the book, but I'm thinking the designer may have a reasonable legal case for the lawsuit.

I don't know how to feel about this. For me, there is too much legal hairsplitting in the world already, plus there is enough complexity in my world already (what with computers, board changes, cell phones, tvs that hook to computers.....). Now I have to worry about the fabric I used in the stuffed animals I made for the local school bazaar??? Enough already!!! However, I can also understand how designers may feel they are being ripped off if others profit from their creative work. I wish manufacturers could buy the design rights to designs they contract to print and sell. Suppose most designers do not want to do that, though.

Tartan

If their design is so "special", why allow it to be put on fabric? I think fabric is supposed to be made into something and once the selvage is gone how are you supposed to know you are infringing? Lots of jelly roll, fat quarters etc. do not come with a selvage. My stash of ordinary fabric is looking better and better!