Golden, Dakota, whom I called Daks would have been the dog on this card. He adored sticks, all sticks. Even those that we call "branches" that are 7 feet long and the size of your wrist.
He carried one that size all the way home from his walk down near the football field. He had to turn his head sideways to get past the light post along the street...LOL. I think he carried it a good 6 blocks to his yard.
But today I'm thinking this picture really says quite abit more than the simple sentence at the top. Obviously the snowman feels the sticks are HIS....it seems the dog doesn't see it that way.
I know I kind of opened a kettle of fish,so to speak, yesterday with my thoughts about copyright and what it means. As Judy, my buddy from Quilting with Ragdolls said, I was stating the "taken too literally" side in the second post. But what sort of confidence do we have that it would be taken word for word by the law. Would it fall under the "letter of the law" or the "intent of the law"? Often they aren't the same, nor do they have the same outcome.
I totally "get" the NOT copying or sharing the pattern. But using the copyright literally, can I NOT then, show a picture of my quilt to you..with nothing of value for sale or trade intended? And even if I never make a quilt from that book, can I take a picture of it, and send it to you, so you know what book to look for?
I don't have the answers..only the questions. A fellow ring sister asked me this morning if we should remove posts from our blogs showning patterns or books. I don't know, I'm thinking about asking our Web Master if she thinks we should. I don't feel I'm violating anyones rights, I'm not selling anything nor promoting the sale of anything. I'd like to be able to tell you, or share when I think something is a great book or product to own, and why I think so. And it isn't just us, the embellishers, the knitting blogs, and others I can't think of right now... do this also...share names, brands and patterns.
I'm not sure if this whole copyright thing is a slippery slope or a black hole......but for now, I'll settle for someone giving me my arms!!!!!!
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14 comments:
Finn,
Great Card! Love the analogy :O)..
We call our Dakota "Kota" for short...
Cute card! Not quite ready for snowmen yet, though!
Last peep from me on the issue....
I think when we mention patterns, designers, books, etc. in our blogs (including a reasonable number of images), we're actually giving the copyright holders incredible free advertising!!!
Finn
I have been reading your posts on copyright and I am right there, confused as ever with you. I am going to have to stick with my gut when posting on my blog and believe that as long as we give credit, we can sleep at night. I really enjoy reading your blog so I hope this doesn't curtail your posts - just my two cents. Juliann
I am fairly new to your blog, so I don't really feel qualified to jump into the copyright discussion. I will say if I use something that is copyrighted or trademarked on my own blog, I always try to include the © (copyright)
mark or the ™ (trademark).
My thoughts are that we go ahead and share. If someone doesn't like it then will tell us, and we can removed the offending picture at that time. Unless the wording on the book or pattern specifically says no public showing of a quilt made from this book or pattern without permission.
Most designers won't care at all as long as we give them full credit. After all, it gives them free advertising!
had a good laugh at your card today... I can just see your dog carrying the "tree" home past a lightpost...
Sometimes ya just gotta rant. It's a good discussion topic. Love the card. Harper is doesn't seem to be stick obsessed, but she does love her babies (stuffed toys) The Aussie part of her is compelled to keep them in a herd. It is so very fun to watch her when she is in the "herding" mood.
Copyright law is slippery. I did some internet research on copyrights and quilts and found this website:
http://www.reddawn.net/quilt/copylaw.htm
Don't know if it clears up the mud at all, but it might help.
I love the card! I can't to make a snowman here, only I don't have a dog to take its arms.
I agree with Patti...we should continue to share...give credit to the designers and all should be fine. This is after all, free advertising for them. We're not copying the patterns, giving the measurements, we're just sharing the finished product. No different than a quilt show in my mind. But then I may be really off base as far as a copyright attorney's thinking.
Makes you want to tell them to "get a life" if all you are showing is a picture of the quilt and giving them free advertisement.
Well Finn I agree that sometimes it is all taken too far. I understand from when I was studying that it is ok to photocopy a few pages of a book but not the whole book etc. If I make a quilt I would say that 'this' quilt is form 'this' book etc, or 'this' quilt was inspired by 'this' quilt in 'this' book etc. But what really peeves me is when someone tries to claim copyright for something like a 9patch block or a basic block that has been around for ever. It seems to me that a lot of people give an old block a new name, or change the directions to make the old block, then try to sell it as their own invention.
I have to tell you that I find that insulting, because if they can work out a new way of doing it, why can't I? Next thing you will have to ask permission to do a running stitch! If it is something REALLY unique, fair enough.
Reproduction of the cover of a book is always permissable - We use them at the library all the time on booklists.
Even for resale, how else do you think Amazon.com gets away with all the covers it shows? And eBay? I think you're scaring yourself... lol
(((HUG))) go back to sewing, Finn, have fun! As long as you don't claim somebody's design is totally yours and try to sell it, nobody cares.
You can't copyright an idea - just the execution of it.
So, while the pattern is copyright, what you make from it is yours. Your copyright! However, you cannot on-sell the quilts made from the pattern, unless you make changes, and then the changed pattern/quilt is your copyright!
Clear as mud?
As for showing pages of people's books - in Australia, you are allowed to reproduce up to 10% for fair/personal/educational use. Not the whole book though! And we are always saying 'buy this book' and linking to it, so there's no breach of copyright there.
Books/images are there to be discussed and read :)
And our quilts are our own to love and share :) :)
Oh - and I love the card!!
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