I’ve deleted the post regarding the copyright issue on HGTV. The lady has written me and she feels awful and I feel awful. I had no way to get in touch with her or I would have done it all without mentioning it here.
Please, please . . read up on copyright rules . . they’re everywhere! None of us, not even most attorneys, will ever be 100% sure of the copyright laws, interpretation, etc. but if you’re not sure if something is ok, just write the author or whomever it is that you think might be the person to ask. That can resolve a whole lot of issues before they are issues.
The issue with my pattern was that she wasn’t selling it and therefore, didn’t see that there was a problem. Profit isn’t an issue. The rule I try to go by is . . if I didn’t write it; if I didn’t design it . . it isn’t mine to copy.
Most of the quilts I design are using public domain blocks or variations thereof. Yes, there’s a chance the exact same setting has been used before but with my borders, my sashings, my colors, I do my best to be sure I’m not copying someone else’s design and I know my directions aren’t copied.
Just today a blog reader wrote me that the orange quilt was in a shop’s newsletter. I was really upset . . not because I thought someone had copied my design because I just did it this week. I was afraid my design was just like someone else’s. It’s a simple block and it’s possible. It turned out that they were not the same. If I had found out they were the same, I would have written the designer and apologized, hopefully before she even realized my design was the same as hers, and I would have pulled down all pictures of my quilt.
I will eventually post directions for the orange quilt. Thanks everyone for your support.
Pat says
Okay…..so I will take off my cowgirl hat and my six-shooter and not go gunning for this person! Hope you have a nice weekend….and don’t have to crawl around on the hot pavement anymore. When is this coop expected to be totally finished? Do we have an estimated “chicken moving date” yet??????
Vicky says
I was going to ask the same thing. When does escrow close on this coop mansion?
Judy, I know how much effort you go through to design a quilt and write instructions for it. Similar results are bound to happen, but you’re totally on the up-and-up as far as designing goes! I think your rule of copyrights is a good one and easy to remember.
JudyL says
I’m hoping the chickens are in the run today. Yesterday we had another “how the cow at the cabbage” discussion. The chickens aren’t getting enough air circulation on hot days and it’s HOT now. They’ll still have to go into the wooden box at night til the main coop is ready.
Michele says
Looking forward to the directions for the orange quilt .. I love it. I was thinking to try it with lights darks, scrappy… a test to find true lights and darks, avoiding mediums. 🙂
Jane Emerson says
Heard you had some “cool chickens” but this takes the cake! Poor yourself a nice long cool glass of your favorite beverage and go sew. You deserve it.
Jane
Nan says
Hmmm.. copyright questions are a pickle, aren’t they? The real problem, as I see it, is that the laws aren’t very clear… for the most part they are codified “guidelines”. This makes it extremely difficult to enforce (so most jusrisdictions don’t) and open to inerpretation.
Your advice is right on, Judy… if you didn’t create the work, design the work, etc… then it isn’t yours to use without permission. Another part of copyright that most of my school kids, and most adults, forget is that EVERYTHING on the ‘net is under “de facto copyright”… it is published, therefore you need permission to use ANY image or text on the net.
Wow! That’s a lot of territory and a huge can o’ worms! Cut and paste without permission is really illegal… which is where academic dishonesty kicks in. Sorry for the long post, but misuse of copyrighted material is quite common… and mostly unintentional.
Follow the Judy L copyright guiidelines, girls, and you won’t go wrong.
Cheers.