[Woodcarver] copyright rules etc.

[Ivan Whillock]

This is my general understanding about copyrights.

The originator owns all rights to the material. He/she can choose to give 
away or sell some, none, or all of those rights.   By buying the book or 
magazine, you purchase certain rights as expressed in the copyright notice. 
The best way to find out what you have purchased is to look at the copyright 
notice.  Most often the authors want to protect reproduction of the pattern, 
because that is what they are selling.  Often they grant the carver the 
right to make and sell carvings based on the patterns, but not to reproduce 
or sell the patterns.  There are a few who present the pattern "for 
instructional purposes only" and restrict even the selling of carvings made 
from the patterns. They have that right.   Remember, by buying the book you 
are not automatically buying all rights, or even necessarily the commercial 
rights to the material.  Some authors offer the patterns with the 
assumption that they will be used strictly by amateurs and not by people who 
are in carving for commercial purposes.

Enforcement is up to the holder of the copyright.  People with clout, 
Disney, for example, have much more success in protecting their products 
from unauthorized reproduction than others.  The average carver has no such 
power.  A lot of unauthorized copying takes place because there is a 
misunderstanding of the rights or an inability--or reluctance--of the holder 
of the copyright to enforce  them.

Since most of the authors are ordinary folks like you and me, some don't 
care whether you sell carvings from their patterns or not.  Some care but 
are "too nice" to do anything about it.

Chances are, however, the author is reachable.  I'd bet most would 
appreciate being asked for permission if there is a doubt.


Ivan Whillock Studio
122 NE 1st Avenue
Faribault, MN  55021
Visit my website at
http://www.whillock.com
Visit my Picture Trail album at
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=ivancarve

--------------------------------------------------
From: "larry" <redcougar at mchsi.com>
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 1:28 PM
To: <Woodcarver at six.pairlist.net>
Subject: [Woodcarver] copyright rules etc.


> Gentle Subscribers :-) Please support our List with a donation: 

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>

> Dear list members,

> I belong to a small carving club in rural North Carolina.We recently began 

> talking about selling carvings.

> Most of us being new at this, we talked about what you could and could not 

> legally sell. Most of us have purchased rough outs with instructions

> from time to time. All of us have copied free patterns from the internet. 

> All of us have made carvings from patterns and instructions found in the 

> carving magazines we purchase.

> Morally and probably legally? we need to give credit for rough out and/or 

> pattern, but the question which we really have is:

> What can a person legally sell in a show or at a craft fair or in an art 

> gallery as a conscientious,  wood carver concerned about the  state of the 

> art?

> 

> Thank you in advance for your replies, and as I have learned , Keep Them 

> Sharp,

> 

> Larry,

> 

> Rocky Hock, N.C.

>

>

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