[Woodcarver] Re: Copyights

[Joe Dillett]

Hi Edwin (Ned),

Part of the problem with rip-offs is that artists don't go after the 
violators.

A woodcarver friend of mine carved a pattern of a beer barrel to be cast for 
belt buckles for a Milwaukee Brewery. The brewery wasn't interested in 
buying the copyright just a limited edition of 25 cast pewter belt buckles. 
A few months later another foundry started producing them in violation of 
the copyright. My friend had his attorney write the foundry a letter 
informing them that they were in violation of the copyright and to stop 
making them. The foundry continued. The attorney and my friend did nothing 
until several years later after they produced thousands and with the wear on 
the patterns the quality had dropped. After the dust settled in court my 
friend ended up with a beautiful new studio. The attorney was well paid but 
my woodcarving friend said they were able to collect far more than just what 
the past royalties were. The poor quality had hurt his reputation so damages 
were included.

Many attorneys volunteer their time for artists. You can find these 
attorneys through artist's guilds, clubs and associations. You'll find that 
these attorneys are quite familiar with the needs of artists including 
copyright law.


Joe Dillett
The Carving Shop
645 E. LaSalle St. Suite 3
Somonauk, IL. 60552
(815) 498-9290 phone
(815) 498-9249 fax
http://www.thecarvingshop.com
jdillett at thecarvingshop.com
http://www.carvingmagazine.com Carving Magazine web site and Readers Forum
http://community.webshots.com/user/joe_dillett
http://www.citizenactions.org
http://www.safeguardsystemsinc.com
**************************************************


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Megargee at aol.com>
To: <woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2005 8:49 AM
Subject: [Woodcarver] Re: Copyights



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>   In the real world, however, copyright infringement goes on all the time.

> My father, S. Edwin Megargee (1883-1958)  was a noted artist specializing 

> in

> domestic animals such as horses and dogs. Copies of his paintings appear 

> on all

> sorts of things such as playing cards, greeting cards, place mats etc. 

> People

> buy his books on eBay, tear out or copy the illustrations, mat, frame, and

> sell them. There is one company that makes ceramic tiles featuring his 

> paintings

> and another that uses them on jewelry. Log on to eBay, do a  search on 

> "Edwin

> Megargee" and you will see numerous examples. During his lifetime he never 

> got

> a nickle for these rip offs and neither has his estate.  As an artist he 

> did

> not have the funds to hire expensive attorneys; he was advised that if 

> they

> could produce one print lacking the "co" copyright mark they could get 

> away with

> it.

>      Edwin I. (Ned) Megargee

>



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