Public Domain & Copyright Free

[Thread Junkie]

Dumb question..I know there are Domain & Copyright Free Patterns out there. Why can they be for sale on places like E-bay, Various Websites , when they are Domain & Copyright Free?

Also where does a person find them..I know Antique Patterns has the older ones, but do they come from private owners of these old patterns?

 

Am I making any sense to anyone?

Thank you!

[RoseRed]

Public Domain means that the copyright has run out on the patterns. The copyright holder no longer gets paid for any sales of the pattern. It also means that anyone can use, copy and distribute for free or sale.

 

Copyright is confusing. Just because something is in the public domain doesn't mean that no one can sell it.

 

Take Celt's for example. The patterns that she puts up are in the public domain. She does not sell these as a personal choice. When she rewrites the pattern the copyright for her new version of it is hers. So no one can legally sell the rewrites that are on her website.

[Amy]

Anything published prior to 1923 is automatically in the public domain at this point in time. Things published since may or may not be in the public domain, depending on whether the original copyright was renewed (if the original copyright expired). Many patterns received an automatic renewal of copyright, so they are still under copyright protection, and many others their original copyright has not yet expired.

 

Once a pattern is in the public domain, anybody is free to do whatever they wish with the pattern. Person A can take 10 public domain patterns, rewrite them in modern terminology, take their own photos, and sell them. They own the copyright on their interpretation of the patterns. Person B can take the same 10 public domain patterns, with their own rewrite and photos, and sell that set. Neither is infringing on the other's copyright. But nobody can take what either Person A or Person B are selling, in the new formats, and distribute those patterns without permission. Anybody else is still free to take the original patterns and do whatever they wish with them: scan and sell them in original format, scan and give away, rewrite and give away, rewrite and sell, whatever.

 

Hope that helps!

[Real Deal]

Assuming an older pattern is automatically public domain is not a good idea.

 

I know a young woman who assumed an older pattern she liked was OK to use and claim, which she did. Well, the original designer saw this and contacted her. The pattern WAS still under copyright, and she herself was still designing!

 

We should do everything we can to see if a pattern is still under copyright.

[tnkycrochetnut]

Thread Junkie, I know you have been told this (if like me probably a 1,000 x) there are no dumb questions. While I had not thought about what you asked I did learn some very valuable information. Thanks everyone for answering this question as I found the answers very helpful.