Good Morning, Quilters!
Today, I would like to review the very important topic of copyright for quilters! It is one of the most frequently asked questions I receive!
NOTE-This is an updated post from August, 2017.
My Copyright Information
Have YOU ever read to the end of any of my blog posts? If you have, you will see this:
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ. For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thanks!
Copyright is Serious!
In 2017, there was a huge hullabaloo in the online quilt world over the subject of copyright for quilters.
The backstory- the administrator of a large Facebook group made copies of books and online instructions from several quilt bloggers and combined them to create a group project.
The problem — The administrator did it without asking the quilters and without linking to their sites or attributing to them in any way. When a few of the quilters pointed out the copyright infringement, things got rather unpleasant….The authors were berated–their blocks were not original (wonky log cabins) and they were just being bullies. When the authors defended their position, more rude comments followed. Shortly thereafter, the authors were blocked from the Facebook group.
In light of this conversation and the frequent questions I receive, I would like to clarify a few points…
What You Can Do…
I have spent hours (hundreds and hundreds of hours) creating original motifs and providing free tutorials here at Lori Kennedy Quilts. If YOU like the tutorials, the nicest thing you can do is PIN on Pinterest, Share the LINK with your friends, talk about Lori Kennedy Quilts ( (or my books and Bluprint/Craftsy videos) with your guilds, small groups, internet connections, and LIKE and SHARE on Facebook.
Frequently Asked Questions
May I use the motif on my quilts?
YES—please do!
May I use the motifs on quilts I make for others?
YES–have fun adding personal touches!
May I use the motifs on quilts I sell or on quilting I do for payment?
YES–be my guest!! You do not need my permission to use any motif at any time.
May I copy the photos and step-by-step tutorials offered free here for my quilt guild?
Well, no….
The photos and the step-by-steps instructions are protected. Copying them in any form and sharing them without attribution (direct link) would be stealing. Contact me if you would like to use a photo or two–Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com.
Copyright for Classic Motifs or Patterns
Copyright makes sense for original motifs like Lilies of the Valley– but what about common motifs like Ribbon Candy?
It seems to me the greatest confusion about copyright is related to quilt patterns and quilting motifs that are classic or very common. For example, I did not invent Spirals -so why should I claim a copyright?
After years of teaching, I came up with a way to describe Spirals and troubleshoot common errors making it easier for some people. I went to the trouble to put it into words and to augment the description with step-by-step photos that make the process clearer–that is what I am copyrighting.
It is the same for the quilt instructors who wrote out the step-by-step to the wonky Log Cabin. They don’t claim to have invented anything. They do cry foul when someone copies their photos and their instructions. After all, the person copying recognizes the description and photos have made it easier to explain–that’s why they copied it!
If you remember that the step-by-step instructions and the photos are what is copyrighted, it makes more sense. Please do not share without attribution.
What about the Quilt-a-longs, Quilt Notebook, posts like Six Ways to Ruin Your Quilt or Twelve Essential Skills Every Quilter Should Know?–you offer them free here. Does that mean we are free to share them?
Share Sources not Patterns
You may freely LINK to any blog post, tutorial or photo. You may use any photo as a LINK–with the watermark–, but printing them for anything except personal use—- no, thank you.
If you would like to print an excerpt in your guild’s newsletter, check with me first. Permission is allowed on a case-by-case basis (and has never been denied)–as long as attribution is given.
I LOVE TO SHARE!!!
All in all, I don’t want to overstate the case. I love to share here at Lori Kennedy Quilts and I’m delighted when I hear you used a motif or an idea or a process and then told your guild to try it too!
But for all the websites you visit….Please recognize the time required to plan, stitch, photograph, process photos, write, and re-write every blog post (not to mention the technical aspects and expenses of maintaining a blog).
If you like something, LINK to it!!!
Be careful and thoughtful about attribution.
For patterns and books — sharing copies is stealing from the author.
We wouldn’t steal fabric from a quilt store…
Share sources, not patterns.
The Soapbox Jaunt is signing out,
Happy Stitching!
Lori
PS…LOL—All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy Quilts and are intended for personal use only. Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to LKQ! For all other purposes, please contact me at Lori@LoriKennedyQuilts.com. Thanks!
54 comments
periwinklesue
This whole conversation reminds me of my favorite book “Boundaries” by Townsend and Cloud. Many times respecting others’ boundaries is the biggest problem people have. Some think that whomever wrote that pattern is “loaded” and this won’t matter. Truth is they work very hard to produce and promote their writings and earn every dime they make. Thanks for sharing this!
Beckie
Wait……It’s my understanding that a finished (stitched) item from an embroidery design cannot be copyrighted. The written instructions and the actual instructions sent to the machine can be copyright protected, but not the finished stitch out. The only exception I could find is if purchaser of your digital pattern have to agree to a terms and conditions of use agreement. And actually have to click the box that they agree. It’s just like sewing patterns the pattern and instructions are copyright protected but not the finished product. That being said it would be nice to reference the designer on your product labeling.
cindy
I agree that items stitched from an embroidery design are not copyright protected-though some embroidery houses state a limitation of the # of items that can be sold when stitched with their designs-I guess to prevent mass production. My comment above about pirating embroidery designs refers to people who collate the designs of others, converting them and reselling them over and over. They are selling the designs in the form that will go into the machine, not the finished product. There used to be a group called The Embroidery Software Protection Coalition who went after the pirates but I think they are defunct now.
Becky Petersen
Thanks for the common sense approach…but now I’m curious about the name of that Facebook group! LOL
Brit
Search for “Just Wanna Quilt”
Suzanne
This is a very clear explanation Lori, thank you. And yes, I have read your copyright statement at the bottom of your posts. As far as I’m concerned, using someone else’s intellectual property without permission is stealing, plain and simple.
Every other year, my church’s sewing/quilting groups hold a Christmas sale. We make everything from big quilts to aprons, to table runners, placemat sets, microwave bowl cozies and little items that children can buy as gifts for family. Our proceeds go partly to the church, partly to charity and some is kept to buy fabric and supplies. As individuals, we keep nothing for ourselves. On occasion when I’ve bought a pattern for something which would be suitable for our sale, I’ve emailed the designer and asked permission to make multiples. Most of the time we’re given the greenlight with a “sure – go right ahead” and other times have been asked to not do it unless each member of the group buys her own copy of the pattern (group discounts are frequently offered). This is fair and reasonable and we understand it. Whatever the answer, we always respect the owner’s wishes. Those I contact are unfailingly gracious and most express thanks for asking permission. It’s the right thing to do.
Debbie Mahlberg
Not a comment but a question. Do you ever quilt on pieced quilts? Your examples seem to show solid fabric.
gallolee
Clear and common sense explanation! Thank you for all that you share!
Susan McFarland
Thank you for your positive approach to explaining this. Another reason to live your work!
Leota Bennett
I love your design inspirations! I wish I had found you years ago. You are an inspiration for me to begin to design my own things and to keep on quilting with yours. I understand and respect the copyright information you posted. I enjoy saving your designs for my personal use, only. As I have gotten older it is harder to remember everything and where to find it again on the internet site. I think my brain is like a computer over loaded. I like the way you add your copyright to the images! The only suggestion I have is that the information you have would be great in a PDF format download. Your copy righted materials would probably be more protected that way. Keep up the wonderful work and being an inspiration to others to keep on quilting.
Kay
Hi Lori,
This is a very good explanation!!
Thanks!
Kay
Bette
The best explanation I’ve ever read! And what great questions and comments too!
Brit
Great post.
I think it is appropriate to call attention to Elizabeth Townsend Gard and her work on Copyright in the quilting world. She started the quilting army in the FB group “Just Wanna Quilt.” She is a professor at the Tulane University and she and her students are exploring the quilting world, copyrights, etc. Her plan is to publish something on copyright. I find it interesting that they are now in their second year. So this is not simple and straight forward. I follow both the FB group and her podcasts. Check it out!
Judy B
Thank you for the link … sounds like an interesting group to follow!
Lori Hope
I often use a quilt I found on Pinterest as inspiration for an auction quilt. While I make changes to the original, I always give attribution to the original.
I work for an online software company, and we deal with copyright infringement issues all the time!
Thank you for your generosity, Lori!
Janet Licari
I think I understand and hope that the photos I have saved on Pinterest have watermarks and link to the correct sights. I guess I didn’t think other people would look at my saves either and thought of my collections as reminders to myself. Thanks for the post update!
How would you go about looking for and to identify a quilt block designs name? A place that has them divided in groups or types not just a bunch of jumbled blocks would be great. Sometimes people get an old quilt top and want to know what the pattern is called. I am not having luck finding a good place to look.
michk
Thx! Sending the link to my quilt friends!
Mary Ann Geisler
You are one of my favorite Quilters. It’s fun following and practicing your step by step motifs. Thanks for putting it out there and for being so generous. I tell people to check out your blog and website.
Lois Moran
Good information. I have gifted quilts where I have used your designs (loose screw is a favorite) and could not hope to teach quilting so that won’t be an issue but was wondering about a design I would use on a quilt that I might sell. That hasn’t ever happed, but if it does, I can do it with a free conscience. Thanks for clarifying. Now if I can get my Guild to have you come teach…
Shirley M
Great post!!! Thank you Lori. This was very helpful. All that you do is so appreciated…
Linda
Excellent information! Now I have backup documentation to share with a person, I know, claims she made up the patterns and I know she didn’t. She may change a few things but I have always known she did not make it up. Now to have the courage to approach her. I am probably too chicken to tell her. She’s 80 now but has been teaching other people’s patterns for 40 years. I probably will let it go……what would you do? Anyone????
Marta
Well,…honesty doesn’t have an expiration date. But check yourself first… what result would you like to see from her being informed. Do you have any “free” patterns to offer her? I see free patterns online so they are out there. Some of the older quilt patterns have no way of knowing who designed them and quilters have been sharing for generations..If you want to retain her dignity and friendship.. love is the first way of handling sticky situations…Best wishes…..
Sheila at WhiteBearQuilts
You have to be careful with “free”, it still can have a copyright on them. At least that’s how it is in the art world. I can’t see being much different in the quilting world.
Franni V
She won’t thank you for calling her out on it, but I don’t think just being old gives you a free pass on stealing someone else’s work…
Brenda @ Songbird Designs
Great reminder, Lori. As both a quilt designer and embroidery digitizer, I have seen so many violations of copyright and outright stealing of designs that it is very saddening. People seem to have no respect for anyone else’s hard work. I really like your copyright statement. Thanks for bringing up this very touchy subject!
Cindy
I also am an embroidery digitizer and it infuriates me to see the piracy and copyright infringement in this industry. Ebay especially provides a marketplace for pirates who sell THOUSANDS of designs for a few dollars. You can bet they did not spend 1 minute digitizing, or they would not be selling huge compilations so cheaply. I have pointed out to ebay dozens and dozens of times the designs that are being sold illegally- also trademarked designs like Disney being copied and sold- but ebay does not care. They are making money from the pirates’ fees, and honest digitizers trying to sell are being robbed.
Barbara
Great explanation , thank you for this and for all you do to help the community of quilters grow in their knowledge
thebiasedge
Thank you Lori for such a good reminder. :))
Sandra
Juls
Oh, this one makes me soooo crazy when someone in one of my groups wants to “borrow” a pattern so she can copy it! She openly says so. I worked in the education field, and copyright violation was drilled into our brains constantly by our media specialist. I cannot imagine my friend would have expected to work uncompensated in any way in her field of nursing. I have just stopped taking patterns with me, and rarely show completed quilts as I don’t want to have that conversation.
Linda St Andre
I was one of those media specialists doing the drilling! Thank you for crediting hard working educators for their work to educate staff members and students on copyright laws and the reasons why. Id do get requests to copy patterns from quilt members. My standard reply is the name of the company who published the pattern and where they can purchase their own copy to enjoy forever!
sunnysewsit
I used to do a lot of machine embroidery, and when embroidery machines first came out, many groups freely shared designs, thinking if it was a free design, it could be shared; not so. There were many designers who discovered their designs were being shared, and it caused a big bru-ha-ha, similar to the wonky log cabins you mentioned. Rule of thumb: if in doubt, leave it out!
Carolyn S
I have only one question on copyright, you stated that books should not be shared. I have not checked the shelves of my local library for quilt books lately, libraries share books and early on I did borrow quilting books from libraries. Libraries must have some exemptions?
Linda Wallace Matthews
You’re able to borrow books, but copying pages and designs from them would infringe on copyright. As a school librarian I tried to make this very clear, especially to teachers. Some booki were bought with the provision to duplicate clearly stated, but others had COPYRIGHT PROTECTED plainly mared on the pages.
Becky Petersen
Yes, but there are special copyright exemptions for teachers. https://www.xavier.edu/library/about/documents/Copyright_9-23-08.pdf
Carolyn S
If I borrowed the book and made an item following the directions in the book, without copying the pages, that is copyright infringement?
Katell Renon
Very clear, very generous too, thank you!
Donna
Excellent explanation, Lori! For years I worked with copyright issues for music (creation, performance, & publication) and see the direct correlation to other artistic work. Unless as a society we’re willing to put creative people “on retainer” so they can eat, buy clothes, travel, etc. while making new things for others to enjoy, then there’s no way around having the people interested in using creative works pay their creator for that use. (It’s a democratic society’s version of royal patronage.)
“Women’s work” has historically been undervalued and also women have been generous in sharing their work or teaching their methods. So nowadays if any creative person decides to earn some money from their talent, they do need to learn about copyright, contracts, and whatever else will allow them to make a profit and/or protect their work from theft or unwanted alteration… BEFORE they have made their work available to the public, just as you have done. Especially in the quilting world with its wealth of historical examples, there are many professional quilters–and their publishers–who could point people in the right direction as they are getting started. Also, in my experience, the federal Copyright Office is one of the best run things in government. Their handouts are clear, accurate, and readily available online or through local libraries. Although you own your own work as you are working on something (that is, you own whatever is new, not copied), full legal protection requires telling a government that you’re claiming it, which also gives others a way to contact you when they want to use, or riff on, your original work. It’s not a difficult process; just needs doing. By the way, if you own copyrights (or patents), each should be mentioned in your Will.
• IF YOU WERE HIRED to create something, then you & the person paying you need to agree, preferably in writing, who will be its copyright owner, not just the owner of the work produced.
• Alternatively, if you DON’T want to have any stewardship over your creation nor profit from it, it’s helpful to put a notice about that intention on your work to prevent confusion … or you might assign your rights to some non-profit organization or to any individual person after discussing this with them.
Happy Quilting!
Annika
Donna, I woyld like to add: The above is true for the US, but remember the internet is a world wide web, and laws differ. In my country, there is no need to claim copyright officially, each creator automatically has it! Just like you can’t take a coat from a café because ‘it didn’t have a name on it’, you can’t just use a photo or text, because it doesn’t have a copyright statement on it. Both are legally considered stealing in a great part of the world.
Roxanne Richle
Here in Geneva, Switzerland, a short distance from where I live, is a 3 block (+/-) building (10 stories) called WIPO (World intellectual property Organization. They need all that space to coordinate copyright and intellectual property worldwide.
Donna
Exactly, Annika! As you said, “Just like you can’t take a coat from a café because ‘it didn’t have a name on it’, you can’t just use a photo or text, because it doesn’t have a copyright statement on it. Both are legally considered stealing in a great part of the world.” True in the USA, too.
But the U.S. court system says that if you “staked your claim” clearly & publicly before distributing your creation, you should win in a legal fight with someone who wants to ignore you–that is, the case starts with you as the true owner and the other guy has to disprove your claim. (The alternative is that claimants start on equal footing and you’ll have to prove your ownership. That’s a lot more work as time passes than sending in a registration form before letting your creation go public.)
Cheri
I do forward your page to my sister occasionally, but she knows who you are and has one of your books, maybe two!
vivianbring
Hi Lori – this is a good post. I have seen women take out their cameras and snap photos of designs and pages in books in my local craft store. They are not only stealing the copy, they are not paying for the book. One time, the store owner saw it and immediately ran over to explain that taking photos was not allowed. The offenders apologized and deleted the photos. In this new age of digital, the boundaries are less clear. I appreciate your explanation. BTW, I used your scissors, spools of thread and tomato pin cushion motifs on my “Sewing Mantras” quilt that I gave as a present. Your motifs fit brilliantly with my designs. They make all the word of difference in finishing the quilt for me and for my gift receivers. I have your first book as well and I have purchased your Craftsy courses. Keep on sharing, please. V-
JAS
Oh boy, some members of my guild were extremely put out when I refused to share any purchased/copyrighted patterns. Now they are more careful to ensure everyone in a class buys their own pattern from which to work. J
Louise
Thank you! Such a great explanation!
Marta
I faced something similar when I was putting my photos/greeting cards online years ago. The cards were not bought… just copied.. I finally had to stop. Lori, Please clarify the word share.. I assume you are not talking about facebook “share”.
Scenario: If I were to take your book to my sewing group and show it around and say, “Look how lovely these designs are!” And then a dear friend asked to borrow the book or if she took a photo of a particular page or took the book to the copy machine and copied the design she liked, that is what you mean by “share,” Those actions would be copyright infringement, Right??? By the way, I have not taken your book to show off…so stop shaking in your boots !
Sheila at WhiteBearQuilts
I would definitely say it’s a Facebook share. If you take her book to your guild to look at would be ok, you’re promoting her book. Just like at a bookstore you can look through the book to see if you want to purchase it, but you wouldn’t be allowed to take a photo or copy any pages at a bookstore. I cringe every time someone at my quilt guild wants to copy a pattern because they like it. As an artist, like the quilt designers, our lively hood depends on sales. If one guild in every state let someone (and it never ends at one) copy a $5 pattern it would add up! Sorry for the long winded message I’m hoping at least one person realizes they are taking money out of someone they like and appreciates pocket. How many people are willing to let someone take $5 out of their wallet, again and again?
Marta
To Roxanne…. I think it is about who created what is in the book, not who owns the book. What is your opinion?
Roxanne Richle
I agree with above, but very quickly the issue gets difficult. What about if I sell (or give) that book in a garage sale? Before copying became so easy, women used to always lend books to their friends.
Sandy
What if you have a pattern that is somewhere between 30-40 years old. You’ve attempted to find the original designer, but with no success. There is no indication of copyright on the pattern cover or instructions. Can I copy that pattern today in order to sell it commercially? Thank you.
Roxanne Richle
I believe copyright later 75 years…
Donna
Think about a “worst scenario”:
If you had to defend yourself in court for selling a pattern created 30-40 years ago (not 300-400 years ago) by someone unknown, what might be your defense?
Maybe something like this:
• I made a reasonably diligent search to discover the author (looked through many old books, asked at quilt museums & conferences, put a notice in national quilting magazines/social media, etc.), which didn’t discover the author.
• After a “reasonable” amount of time had passed, I published it, but I did not represent it as my own work; I indicated that the creator was unknown to me; and I included a notice that I would readily publish a correction if contacted by the true creator.
Karin Devore
Lori that was stated so well, thanks for sharing this important information.
Jean-Robert Hunter Deuling
Lori Thanks for the Fantastic Overview of Copyright Well Written and I am sharing with my group
Thanks again
Rob
Tracy PetersonYadon
Thank you so much for the info. It’s the best I’ve heard yet.
Comments are closed.