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Friday, April 6, 2012

Thoughts on Copyright Issues

Today I read a blog post that I'd like to share with everyone else.  When I first made choices about this blog, I put some html code in to keep anyone from copying any of my pictures, because I thought that was what I should do.  But I've changed my mind.  After reading the referenced blog post, I've removed them, and decided that as quilters, we have always shared, and I hope it shall continue forever.


Here's the blog post site:


http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/2012/03/copyright-terrorism.html


I'd be interested in your thoughts on the subject.  Do you protect your ideas or do you share?




I'm working this week on some little Dresden plate blocks and am having lots of fun with them.  I'll post more about them when I finish the little quilt, but here's a picture of my progress so far:




Aren't they cute?  I bought a kit from Q is for Quilter's Etsy shop.  Here's 
Martha's blog where she has a link to her Etsy store:  http://qisforquilter.com


Judy 





5 comments:

Lori said...

Thanks for directing me to the post. The whole copyright thing is getting completely out of hand.

Love Martha's (now yours)little quilt kit!! Too cute!

Beth D said...

I'm all about sharing. Quilting is supposed to be fun. I don't plan on spending my sewing time worrying about who steals from who. Just Not Fun!

Sharyn Mallow Woerz said...

I'm glad I'm out of the loop. And I can see both sides of the question. Paticularly for the pattern designers, the ones that are sold in the ziplock bags for 8-10.00. I've seen women make 10-15 copies of them and hand then out at guilds and no one says boo. One of the reasons I haven't been to quilt in a dozen years.

On the other hand some of those patterns are so utterly simple it embarrasses me that someone would charge for them and someone would pay for them. Time and materials are what are charged for and when I see the copyright icon on them I can only shake my head. How can you copyright a box or an oblong or a strip of however many inches?

I had someone tell me years ago on Ebay I couldn't sell my used books. The royalties weren't being paid to the author. Where does the maker and the users rights meet happily?

All that said, Disney is king of backing their copyright and you can't make something to sell with their fabrics. Unless you petition them, commit to what you are making with specific fabrics and get the ok. You have to be really big to do that.

About four years ago, at the Kalama fair (2 buildings, 4 horses, 10 chickens, 8 bunnies, and a few food concession and maybe 6-8 rented commercial booths. I can't imagine how it could be more small time. But someone representing Disney came in and confiscated the doll clothes and stuffed toys with Disney prints on them and then pressed charges against the woman who made them. So it happens.

Anyway, can I make a blog suggestion which you can ignore to your hearts content? I should be able to click on your header and return your whole blog, with as many posts as you've set to show on one page. I can't click on your blog header to make it do that and the only post that shows is the current one. (try it on mine) I had to go over and click on April in the side bar. I have my settings to show the last 15 posts I think, because they aren't picture heavy, and neither are yours. For blogs that upload a ton of hi res images, those of us with slower connections are skunked...anyway, just a suggestion.

Taryn said...

I expect to share what I post on my blog and am very thankful to the many other quilt bloggers who do the same. I respect copyright laws and the designers who put so much effort into their patterns and books. I show that appreciation by buying said patterns and books. BUT, I have a problem when someone sells patterns based on traditional quilt designs (particularly when you can even pinpoint the actual quilt it came from) then gets all high and mighty about "copyright." Seriously, there isn't much new under the sun in quilting. I agree with Lori - things are getting a little too out of hand.

Your little dresden plates are adorable.

Teri said...

Just found your blog because of pinterest. I'm so happy to find another small scale quilts lover. I share what I do, and I agree with you that quilter's have always shared. And I agree with Lori that the whole copyright thing has gotten out of hand. And with Taryn that there aren't a whole lot of new quilting ideas out there. And I am pretty much of the frame of mind that if a person never wants the possibility of someone being inspired enough by their work that they try it themselves, then they should not be crazy enough to put it on the internet.
Love your blog! Thanks!