Creating & Selling Patterns

[Thunder84]

What should you do when you create a new pattern on your own and sell them only to receive a complaint that its copyrighted, copied, or stolen? What if a person created an unqiue pattern, but later found another made by a different person to be very similar? Creativity seems to become more rare with each passing year when ideas are quickly made and claimed. How do you all work on this?

[RoseRed]

First you need to understand that an idea cannot be copyrighted. The exact wording and the pictures are under copyright protection.

 

I would exchange patterns with this person. This will show that 1) it's not copied from them, 2) you're willing to handle it in a professional manner, 3) you also have the opportunity to see that your work hasn't been copied. Consider it a professional courtesy.

 

I've had to do this in the past and it worked out quite well. Once you show the person claiming infringement that you 1) didn't and 2) have nothing to hide things can usually be settled civilly. (that is, of course, assuming that the other person understands how copyright works)

[momwithahook]

I wish there was a site that settled this matter for all pattern designers. So much confusion on this one topic.

[kayscrochet]

For years I designed tole painting patterns. This is back when the internet was fairly newish (showing my age lol)

 

Many of my patterns were stolen pictures and all. I had an attorney write cease & desist letters and they did get taken down.

 

Now if those people had changed those patterns by at least 20 percent, taken new pictures etc they could have called it their own and there would be nothing I could do.

 

I don't believe creativity is ending. There will always be new ideas.

 

It does surprise me though how many times several people will have the exact same idea. It does happen!

 

Kay