In a message dated 27/08/2004 23:32:56 GMT Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> I also know that a lot of people will "share" patterns - > 'we'll buy one each and make copies'. Whilst that's illegal it's > hardly worth making a fuss about. Only if I saw someone selling my > patterns without permission would I get upset. If I go to a lace day > and see one of my designs on a pillow, or finished and on display I get > a kick of pride knowing that I designed it, and I take it as a > compliment that someone else liked the pattern enough to make it up. > > Brenda > http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/paternoster/ > Brenda and the Spiders (ah the rock band is back), I think you have hit the nail on the head here. We all know that copyrights mean we can't give away your 'intellectual property' - the pattern but we also know that it does go on. It isn't something that we can police because let's face it, how do you remember who you've sold patterns to when you see them at a lace day - perhaps it was bought by a friend as a present - I've had that happen when I've given someone a lift to a lace fair. (By the way, did you know that in the UK you aren't supposed to 'charge' someone petrol money to take them somewhere - that makes you a taxi and gives issue with your insurance but they can offer to fill up your petrol tank and pay for it - see, we have laws that go round in circles on other areas too!) The one thing here that Brenda has said that makes me feel great is that she gets a kick out of seeing her pattern on someone else's pillow being made - or on display. Whilst I know that massive financial rewards would be better, that kick must we worth it's weight in gold - I just get a kick from seeing a hankie I made my mum, on her dressing table every time I go round and I didn't even design it! The Aussie asked why I don't design anymore and I said that simply I don't have the time - there are so many things I want to make that to design, at this time, stops me. But if there weren't people like Brenda out there then I would have nothing to make but historical patterns and whilst I love the patterns out of the luton books etc if I wanted to make there I would have to true them up if someone else had not taken the time to do so for me. I taught this woman to make lace and she moaned when she had to spangle her bobbins, and she moaned when she had to wind her bobbins, and she moaned when she had to finish off the lace, and she moaned when she had to mount her lace ... in the end, I asked her why she was making lace and she said; 'so people can see I'm clever and have a hobby'. Historically, lace makers did all these things because they are part of the craft that we follow and if you don't do them then you don't really make lace (ok, so we all occassionally buy pre spangled bobbins at show and I've got a bobbin winder) but designing lace was not historically part of the lace makers repertoire - if I was a commercial lacemaker then it is something that I would have been given to make from - so for me, people like Brenda are fulfilling a role that has been there as long as lacemaking and if I remove her ability to receive recognition of her time and effort then I am stealing from her - both monetarily and morally - so I pay for my pattern and I should show my appreciation of her pattern when I've made it by letting her know I loved it (or even loathed it but got there if it's a difficult one) and asking her permission to put it on my web site. Now here is a thought, I've been blogging and putting pictures of the lace that I'm making on my blog - am I infrindging copyright - yes I possibly am - but I'm careful to only show the part of the pattern I'm working on and to say where it came from. When I did talk about the equipment I was using it caused the great talk about the green horse shoe that I was using from Kleinhout and infact that was when Brenda, I believe, said that they sell them in the UK and raised awareness of it. To some extent - with lace web sites and blogging we are globally doing what lacemakers have done for years - we are bragging about our favourite lace toys and patterns but instead of doing it with the woman who lives next door - we are doing it with our friends around the world. I come on this site and say, wow, I've got this fabulous book and I've made this piece out of it and you won't believe how gorgeous it is and here is a picture on my website. Now, say 6 people go and look at the piece - which is a reasonable response to an email - and one of them say 'wow' I want to make that and buys the book then we have done a good thing. With bragging about your lace you are putting the copyright laws in a moral quandry - promotion over copyright - and this is where the law is very grey - from what I have seen on looking into this, the law does not condone breaches of copyright (which posting on your web site is) but understands that not for profit usage of the image on a website can promote the copyright owners wears and infact cause them increase in business and this is the reason that law suits are not normally followed through in those cases. It doesn't make putting it up on the website legally right, but morally it has it's supporters. I'm off to try and work out how to ask the Anna people for permission to photograph my bit when I've finished it. Here is another question - I bought the magazine, made the pricking and lost the photograph - if I ask for a copy of the photograph from a friend and they let me have a copy am I breaching copyright because when I bought the magazine I paid my royalties then. Now that's a grey area! Regards Liz in London I'm back blogging my latest lace piece - have a look by clicking on the link or going to http://journals.aol.com/thelacebee/thelacebee To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace-chat [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
