I am preparing a presentation for the Victorian Quilters annual general meeting next month. The subject is copyright and quilting. I commend the Guild on highlighting this important education issue with its members and I am keen to make my presentation as practical and relevant as possible. Naturally I will cover copyright fundamentals – what is copyright? what does it apply to? how long does it last? what are the exceptions? enforcement and so on. However, I will also address some frequently asked questions and common issues such as:
- Quilt Show Photography & Online Sharing Guidelines
- incorporating copyrighted materials such as images and quotes into your work
- use of fabrics marked “Sold for non-commercial home use only”
- exhibiting quilts made from patterns or “inspired by” other people’s designs
- proper use of patterns
- patterns and templates found on the internet
- proper use of workshop handouts
- teaching from other people’s patterns or work
If you have a question or case study that might add to a constructive discussion, please leave a comment below or e-mail me privately. Also see my Copyright Resources page.
Candy's Home Patch says
Hi Brenda, we planned to discuss some of these things at QGSA Teachers Forum in August (an informal support group). The topic arose from reading about proposed changes to copyright law in Australia. It was suggested some months ago & we expected that something may have happened to further the discussion…I haven’t followed up as yet. I have a couple of scenarios, I will email you.