Today I want to talk a bit about copyright as it applies to the needlework world. The National Needlearts Association, a trade group I belong to, has put together an information sheet for shops to share with their customers. I thought I’d just share it here so you can come back to it any time you have a question regarding this confusing issue. Remember that I am not an attorney and if you have a legal issue related to copyright law you should find a good attorney. However, this information may help if you just have a “can I do this…” type of question.
UNDERSTANDING COPYRIGHT
AS IT RELATES TO
NEEDLEWORK CHARTS
AN ORIGINAL COPY OF A PATTERN THAT YOU HAVE PURCHASED MAY BE:
- COPIED ONLY TO SERVE AS YOUR WORKING COPY TO MARK AS YOU STITCH AS LONG AS YOU OWN AND POSSESS THE ORIGINAL.
- SOLD, TRADED, LOANED, OR DONATED.
- STITCHED AND YOUR FINISHED, STITCHED PROJECT MAY BE PHOTOGRAPHED AND THE PHOTO MAY BE SHARED ALONG WITH THE NAME OF THE PATTERN, AND THE PUBLISHER’S NAME WHO HOLDS THE COPYRIGHT.
- COMBINED WITH ELEMENTS FROM OTHER PUBLISHED PATTERNS, CHANGE COLORS, FIBERS, AND EVEN STITCHES WHEN STITCHING ITEMS FOR YOUR OWN ENJOYMENT OR AS GIFTS.
- STITCHED AND THE FINISHED PROJECT DONATED TO A WORTHY CAUSE.
- STITCHED AND THE FINISHED PROJECT SOLD AS LONG AS IT IS NOT BEING MASS PRODUCED.
PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHT LAWS SO THAT YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS MAY ENJOY THE LEGAL COMPENSATION WHICH THEY HAVE EARNED. “COPYING AND SHARING” IN ANY FORM IS ILLEGAL. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT, TO STAY IN BUSINESS, DESIGNERS MUST BE COMPENSATED FOR THE DESIGNS THEY PRODUCE FOR SALE.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL NEEDLEARTS ASSOCIATION ON THEIR WEBSITE:Â http://www.tnna.org
