dunster

Ooh, tough to disagree with the DIL. She will think you're just taking your son's side.

I struggle with the "copying" issue all the time. We get most of our inspiration from seeing things others have done, at least I do (not much originality here!) But - even if there weren't the issue of copyright, I just don't think it's that much fun to make a true copy of someone else's work. If we truly use it as a springboard for our own creation, we get much more satisfaction from the effort. That's why we quilt.

Stummel

Wow, I just woke up and missed a whole page! Since I am new to quilting I don't know much about the ethics involved of sharing patterns etc. I was a bit weary about spending lots of money on a book from which I only use one pattern, but I certainly wasn't trying to cheat Ms Martin out of anything. The library issue is a bit confusing though. When I was at university it was legal to copy 10% of a book without the authors permission, but no more. I don't really understand why it would be more ethical to sign the book out and make her quilt than to copy the pattern and make it, as in both cases she wouldn't earn money from me buying the book, and I wouldn't be distributing it but have "stolen" her idea if you will. Btw., how old is your DIL if you don't mind me asking? She sounds very young to take that approach, and I hope you guys can work it out soon. I would never stop speaking to my MIL because she took my hubbie's side, moms are moms :)

Charlee

Good point Dunster, altho I would have to admit to being quite proud of myself when I can figure something that looks complex out for myself...kind of a patting myself on the back sorta thing with self acknowledgement that I'm not as stupid as I look! ;) :)

The DIL thing? Heh! You'll enjoy this one. I had my son when I was 16. DIL is 10 years older than he is, making her 6 years younger than I am. Want to add to the fun? My hubby is 10 years younger than I am, making him 4 years younger than his daughter in law! ~grin~ I figure she has the same pants to get glad in as what she got mad in...~shrug~

BellaBoo

Your young son seems to have more maturity then his old wife. LOL

Charlee

Guess I never said how old DIL is...she's 47...:lol:

dunster

Stummel, I never ever meant to suggest that you or anyone else was trying to cheat anyone out of anything. I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just jumped on this discussion because I have also been trying to "understand" the ins and outs of copyright law, and as members of the forum I think it's our duty to be sure that we don't promote activities on here that would be in violation of other people's rights.

I don't think it's always possible to make sense out of legal matters, but in the case of the library, here is how I look at it. If you own a book, it's not okay to make copies and give them to your friends. It is, however, okay to sell or give the book to your friend, and then the friend becomes the owner. The same goes for the library. If they let you make a copy, and the next borrower makes a copy, and so on, then there are lots of copies out there. The copy has a longer "life" - more time for you to use it - than the original loan of the book. On the other hand, while you actually have the book checked out, you have temporary "ownership" of that book and are allowed to make the patterns in it. (This is not a legal opinion - just my explanation.)

Stummel

The thing that confuses me in this case is that to me it doesn't really matter whether someone makes a copy of a pattern for personal use only or uses the actual book. If you take a book home and use it to make the quilt, and then another person takes it home and makes the quilt, and then another, there will still possibly be ten or fifty quilts of that particular pattern resulting form only one book, and the pattern itself isn't really worth anything without it's use, if you know what I mean.

ETA: I wasn't offended or took your opinion personal, just meant to say I didn't intend to "steal" someone's pattern if there were copies of just that pattern for sale somewhere.

Stummel

Charlee, that is very funny that your grown DIL would act this way about the situation. Maybe she is fighting for top-lady position in your son's eyes? My MIL usually tries to get me to get DH to do what she thinks he should do, because she thinks he'll listen to me more, lol!

dunster

To me the difference is in "borrowing" vs. "keeping" the book.

Stummel

Yes, but isn't the actual violation that one makes a quilt from a pattern, whether it's borrowed or kept? Otherwise there is no point to the pattern.