| Knitting Patterns and Copyright Laws may not go | | | | knitted products you created. Maybe you just |
| together like needles and yarn but they are far | | | | presumed or even assumed that you knew what |
| from the water and oil that some people believe | | | | they meant when they wrote nothing more than |
| as well. Many commercial knitting patterns are | | | | "Copyright 2009" (or whatever year it was) at |
| clearly marked with a copyright but do not | | | | the bottom of that pattern you love so much. |
| specify any restrictions, limitations or even legal | | | | If you are creating knitting patterns for sale and |
| ramifications regarding what can or cannot be | | | | distribution, please mark your patterns clearly not |
| done with the finished products created from | | | | only with the copyright information but also with |
| these patterns. Thus is it that there needs to be | | | | detailed information about what the end-user or |
| some clarification between knitting patterns (or | | | | person who purchases it can and cannot do with |
| any arts and crafts patterns for that matter) and | | | | the knitting pattern and the finished knitted |
| copyright law. | | | | products that they have created. While you may |
| This information should be especially relevant to | | | | win any copyright battles in a (very expensive) |
| anybody who has ever considered producing and | | | | copyright infringement lawsuit, you will not likely |
| distributing their own knitting patterns. It is equally | | | | win many friends or a very supportive customer |
| important as well though, if you are going to be | | | | base by suing everyone who uses your knitting |
| buying patterns and then creating and selling | | | | patterns for anything more than personal use. |
| knitted products. Copyright Laws are pretty much | | | | If you are purchasing knitting patterns from |
| established and set in stone but unfortunately, | | | | someone, look for the copyright information and |
| there is no provision for exactly what must be | | | | see if it is well-written and inclusive and if it is not, |
| included in the copyright provisions or copyright | | | | make every reasonable effort to contact the |
| statement of any given item, website, pattern or | | | | knitting pattern creator and see what their |
| anything else for that matter. | | | | intentions are. If they tell you in an email or even |
| It is up to the individual to include what should and | | | | an instant messenger, record and save the |
| should not be any and all restrictions and | | | | conversation and that should cover you should |
| applications of the copyright. If you are using | | | | any unforeseen circumstances occur. There are |
| someone else's knitting patterns, you may already | | | | occasionally people who become successful who |
| be aware of the frustrations caused when these | | | | will sell a knitting business and the new owner |
| limitations and applications are not properly applied | | | | may presume to know about the copyright |
| or even written. Maybe you have even tried to | | | | without knowing what rights have been granted |
| contact the pattern creator to find out what you | | | | and restricted. |
| can and cannot do with both the pattern and the | | | | |