Bit of a Rant here:
I keep reading about how people interrupt copyright. Scary in and of itself.
Because of this I have found myself very leery about self publishing anything
for some time. I have 3 patterns that I should be putting on my website right
now and they sit, as I am scared of how things are going these days.
The gist of how I interrupt the copy right laws is:
I created the pattern from my imagination. I wrote the pattern in my words.
I used my own photos in the pattern. I then own that pattern to sell, give
away, or anything else I want to do with it.
Others should not be able to profit from my work unless I sell or lease them the right to.
Then I have to honor that
agreement.
Seems so simple doesn’t it.
But it is not how everyone interprets it.
I won’t argue Copyright laws. I am not an expert. But if I can’t protect my
work, why should I bother.
One of the things I find confusing is we all encouraged to write our
patterns in a certain style. There are many people that teach pattern writing
and they have very set rules you are supposed to follow. If we do our patterns
this way after awhile we would lose our own style. Well folks one of
the criteria of copyrights is the pattern should be written in your own
words. Which if we all write our patterns the same way we would not
have any individual copyrights for say a granny square. They would
all read the same. You can’t have it both ways.
I firmly believe we all have to have our own style of
pattern writing to help keep copyrights protected as I definitely write my
patterns different from other people I know.
The key to any good pattern writing is does it make sense. Can the piece be
duplicated from the instructions given for said piece. Yes there are some
basic guidelines. Abbreviations should mean the same for all.
I write my patterns as I think my patterns.
I find writing a pattern in other formats difficult as it's not how I think
when I crochet.
It's kind of like writing a note in French when you think,
write and speak English.
I can be done, but it is harder to do as you have to
translate as you go.
I thought I wanted to do my patterns as charts so I could be more
international. I even have the program to use to learn to do this. But I am
almost thankful I haven’t had the time to actually learn to do this.
Why, you ask.
Well I keep seeing charts pop up in my Face Book news feed. It
is so easy to post a picture of a chart with no other instructions. And your
pattern is out there for all to see. You don’t see too many patterns posted,
but lots and lots of charts.
So I don’t think I want to make it easier for someone to steal and share my
patterns.
See it’s like this folks,
I can’t afford to spend 12 -16 hours each day working on creating designs
and translating them into a pattern that others can follow without
compensation. If I can’t make anything off my patterns, I need to go back to
Home Depot or someplace like that pays me a wage. That would put designing on a
much lower level in my life.
The number of designs I would be able to create
would drop dramatically.
So as you think about sharing a pattern with your friends, on the internet,
or anyplace else, Stop and think about how you are biting the hand that feeds
your addiction.
Not just self published patterns.
But books and booklets.
Designers get royalties from the sale of the books.
I keep hearing support small businesses.
Well support your hard working designers too friends.
We do work hard for your pleasure.
On a lighter note
We finally got to go hiking yesterday.
Been too crazy for almost 2 months to get to enjoy our favorite past time together.
Here a few pictures from our hike.
Butterflies were everywhere.
But this was the only one that held still long enough to get a decent shot.
This plants flower looks likes feathers to me.
So light and airy.
Lovely
The flowers in bloom right now are so small. This one is about the size of a dime.
The four peaks in shadow.
Marv and Pip were definitely having a great time.
I love this shot.
Pip enjoying the pools we found.
But you see Pip, his refection and his shadow all in the same shot.
