Crafts and copyright

I sometimes wonder how many people actually pay attention to copyright information when reading a craft book or using a pattern collection. Probably not that many – especially since most publications simply include the standard line “all rights reserved”. But now and then, you come across much more specific and rather unusual restrictions.

Take the book Anna Neuper’s Modelbuch, for example. After the usual copyright notice, there’s this paragraph: “Copying patterns for commercial use or making items to sell using patterns from this book without the permission of the author is expressly and specifically forbidden.”

While the part about commercial copying is fairly straightforward, the second half of the sentence is quite rare. What exactly the author intended only she could truly say, but here’s one interpretation:

Tablet weaving is a time-consuming process, and as such, the results tend to be rather expensive (even if you value the maker’s time modestly). If a piece is a replica of a historical original, its value – and its chances of being sold at that price – both increase significantly. So, the knowledge presented in this book could be used to build an exclusive business. But that’s clearly not the book’s purpose. The author has every right to restrict the use of her work for commercial purposes.

What’s interesting is that in the world of handicrafts, embroidery seems to be the only area where designers are commonly credited – either by name or at least by publishing company. In other fields, patterns and designs often seem to appear out of thin air, as if no one actually created them. Maybe embroidery is just more popular, or maybe it’s easier to build a name for yourself in that realm?

I’m not a fan of overly strict copyright rules, but I do believe that crediting the creator of a pattern or design is just basic courtesy. And if the creator has stated specific terms of use, I strongly believe that those should be respected – whether or not the pattern was free in the first place.

The same goes for my own patterns. I’ve often been asked how I feel about people selling tablet-woven bands made using my designs. I have no issue with it – provided the source of the pattern is mentioned. I’m genuinely grateful to people who send me photos of their weaving or embroidery based on my materials. But I’m not fond of seeing such works described as original creations.