Buying patterns - part 2

[Bill WIlson]

I didn't want to hijack the original Buying patterns thread even the thread on Copyright Advice, but I have a related question on the topic.

 

On another scrolling forum, I read a thread that seemed to imply that some commercial scrolling supply and pattern vendors are offering patterns that are very similar to patterns by the original designer, but modified slightly.  The implication was that the original designer is not credited with the pattern.  From the replies in the thread, it seemed as though this has a practice for some time and more than one vendor is known for doing this.

 

I had no idea such a thing was going on and given the sensitivity to copyrights, I was stunned at the implication that this could be a common practice.  I'm being intentionally vague about the specifics, because I don't want to falsely accuse or pass along incorrect information.  I'm posting the question here, because this forum generally gets a lot more traffic than the others and I wanted a broader perspective on the issue.  I've never heard about this practice in all the years I've been visiting these forums, so does anyone here have knowledge of such a thing? 

 

 

[Scrappile]

I have not see that.  I know that vendors sell the pattern makers patterns, but I'm sure that is legit, a deal is made between the pattern maker and the vendor.  Mike Williams, a new member and a great pattern maker, may comment on how that works.

Edited September 2, 2016 by Scrappile

[Denny Knappen]

Bill, I had no idea this was going on.  This will be another reason to buy from the designers website, such as Sue Mey, Sheila Landry or Kathy Wise.

[JustLarry]

It was not that long ago that this was brought to out attention on this site.  One of our own informed us that his patterns were being offered for sale as stencils.  Another member has noticed pattern that appeared to be a copy of one of our bunch. I have also seen this brought to our attention on all of the scrolling forums I am on. 

 

Copyright and door locks are in the same boat - they each keep honest people honest.

 

Larry

[dgman]

Hey bill, yes is is happening. One of our favorite designer and her husband used to sell their patterns on the site in question. She posts regularly on one of the other forums. She complained that they where altering het patterns without her permission. Needless to say, she is not selling her paterns there anymore.

If you go to the site in question, you will find patterns that are similar, but not exact to patterns designed by her and her husband and others.

[Bill WIlson]

Well apparently I haven't been following the forums as closely as I should.  I think this is something of a travesty and as consumers, we have a right to know what we are buying and have an obligation to support the designers of these patterns.  I'm going to make this a topic at our scrollsaw club meeting tomorrow.  I want other scrollers to know about this.  Maybe if enough people are made aware of it, some pressure can be put on the vendors to change their practice.

[Lucky2]

There doesn't seem to be any way to stop it from happening, you hear tell of it happening on an almost daily basis. I've never heard of anyone ever being reprimanded for doing it, so, why should they stop? The same thing is going on on You-Tube, people are posting other peoples videos under their name not giving credit to whom it is owed. Personally, I don't think that there is any way of stopping it from happening, it happens in all walks of life.

Len

[amazingkevin]

I've seen a couple of projects i did being used as something they did to get sales .Oh well i have no money to fight them .But the gut feeling hurt seeing it.

 

There doesn't seem to be any way to stop it from happening, you hear tell of it happening on an almost daily basis. I've never heard of anyone ever being reprimanded for doing it, so, why should they stop? The same thing is going on on You-Tube, people are posting other peoples videos under their name not giving credit to whom it is owed. Personally, I don't think that there is any way of stopping it from happening, it happens in all walks of life.

Len

[zimmerstutzen]

I can't remember the term in copyright, but there is a phenomenon in which people copy a style or significant parts of a work as sort of an unconsious effort.  I am aware of two such "copying incidents with music.  For instance, the Beatles' song "My Sweet Lord"  turned out to be about 85% identical to a 1960's hit "He's so Fine"    Also the song "You're the reason God made Oklahoma"  is substanitally similar to the old standard "Rocky Top"  the major change was the tempo.  There have been numerous instances of such similar songs.      Anybody familiar with Protestant Church hymnals knows there are dozens of hymns set to the same basic music.     

 

If we consider that there is a basic musical scale of 8 notes and about 5 choices of note lengths and rests, there is a statistically large but finite number of tunes possible.   Around 1970, I had the idea of having a computer run all the possible combinations of notes and rests for about 6 measures each.  Then copyright the computer run.  Hence forth no one would have been able to write a song that had not already been copyrighted.  

 

I recently looked at silhouettes of snow men for an idea.  There are literally thousands and dozens of them are so similar that it would be impossible to tell if they were copied.    I have looked at designs for nativity scenes that are like silhouettes.  The outline of a human being kneeling is really pretty uniform for men and for women.  Does that mean they were copied from the human form or from another design.  

 

Map makers use  subtle fictitious features on their maps to tell if someone copied their maps.  One map publisher has my driveway labled as a public road named Tommy's Lane.  It also shows a small pond on the neighbor's property which has never existed.  (it would be at the very top of a steep hill)    VHS Movies had something called copy guard to prevent pirating.    Not sure what peculiar feature could be incorporated in a scroll pattern to catch copy thieves.  

[Frank Pellow]

I was unaware that this was going but, now that I know, I will be on the lookout for it.

 

I'm confident that I have not been the recipient of any such patterns.