Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Replicating

At Crochetville someone posted in Seeking Patterns a site selling Crocheted Capelets and wanted to make one. Looking at it, it's easy enough to figure out, you just need 2 strands of yarn and a really big hook. I used Red Heart SS in black and red with an N hook and I think I replicated it quite nicely.

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It fits me and I wear an 18 top so it should fit just about anyone. I wrote down how I did it in Notepad but I'm not sure I should post it anywhere. I don't want to get into trouble with anyone. I feel it's kind of like everyone copying Martha's poncho, I copied this capelet. If anyone knows if it would be safe to post my directions, let me know, please.

4 comments:

ThreeOliveMartini said...

i dont know about copy right laws.. but i do what my concious tells me.. and if this lady is making her capelet and selling it .. then i dont think it would be right for you to m ake a pattern.. even if you give it away .. just my two cents.. i know if i posted something up and some one made a copy and proceeded to give away the pattern.. i would be upset

Anonymous said...

Well, I don't know what the laws are either, and I guess it's better to be safe than sorry. However, I can't help but think about how often in the fashion industry we see a designer original and then a bunch of knock-offs. Martha's poncho is one example of this in a crochet situation, and the Cecilia DeBucourt "Newlyweds" shawl is another.

If the original designer was selling her copyrighted pattern I could see a more direct conflict, but as I said before I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.

Anonymous said...

I think you should respect the creativity of the original artist and not publish the directions.

none said...

First off, read these 2 links

http://www.geocities.com/jbtocker/copyright/

http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall03/FEATcopyright.html

They are good reads and very educational.

Here is a quote from the last link I posted
" 2. While I was window shopping, I spotted a nifty number in a store window. Can I publish my own pattern that looks just like it?
To put the question another way, is there copyright in the store sweater? The answer is a resounding maybe.

We've already discussed the notion of a sweater as a copyrightable work of artistic craftsmanship. If we accept that this store sweater is such a thing, then yes, it's protected by copyright. And yes, publishing instructions telling other people how to replicate it may be a form of authorizing or counselling infringement."

You came up with a pattern that looks like that capelet. It is an extremely simple design. I would suggest to change it enough so that it would be your own and then publish the capelet as your own.

Since you never worked from a pattern to begin with, just a picture for inspiration then I could see that you could change enough of the capelet so that it truly would be your own.

I would think that you are inspired by this women and the fact that you could figure out the pattern from her pictures is a start in creating your own designs. After awhile, you will be thinking about something and wam...you will be writing up your own design.

In addition, even if your pattern is similar to hers, there is probably so much that would be different. Different stitches, techniques in putting the garment together, different sized hook, different yarn, different guage.....etc.

Anyway, that is my $.02 about it. I wouldn't be intimidated by not knowing what the laws are, just read up on it and then go from there. I hope I helped.