Rewards
Written by Kate Curry
Have you come across a pattern that you adore and you want to sell your finished creations at your store or local fair?
Lucky for you, in most cases, you can totally do that!
In most cases, many pattern designers don’t mind if you sell the finished products of their patterns. Giving them a little credit by letting your customers know where you got the pattern from makes the world of difference to pattern designers.
“My belief is that the PATTERN belongs to the designer. The ART belongs to the artist.” - Quote by Kati
But this is not always the case!
What Does Copyright Cover?
There are very clear rules about copyright issues when it comes to patterns and other written instructions. As far back as the 1800’s, people have been struggling to keep the rights of what they create ( Baker v. Selden, 101 U.S. 99 - 1879).
Here are some quick rules about copyright when it comes to patterns:
What NOT to do
- Re-sell or copy the physical pattern
- Make small changes to the pattern and claim it as your own
- Use it for educational classes
- Use the images that are included with the pattern
What to DO
- Check to see if the pattern states that you can/cannot sell the finished product
- If you can’t find any info, reach out to the designer and ask if you can sell what you make from their pattern(s)
Legally, the only part of the pattern that is protected by copyright is the physical/digital written pattern. The finished product or what you can make from the pattern is not copyright, only the words written by the pattern designer. The designer can only sue you if you are selling or copying their pattern.
Technically, even if the original creator says they do not want the finished products made from their patterns to be sold, copyright does not protect them.
Think Of The OG Creator
Sure, even if the designer says no, you can.
But that’s really not cool.
The world of fiber art is massive and there are thousands of pattern testers. Even with such a large community, word gets around pretty quickly! If you are working in the world of fiber art, you want to make sure that you are always kind, truthful, and respectful of other creators.
How would you feel if another fiber artist used your pattern to sell finished products even if it’s against your wishes. Worse yet, they don’t even credit you for the pattern! I know that would bum me out. Designers put days of frustration, trial, and error into each pattern and their work should be respected.
Looking For A Pattern?
Here at Darn Good Yarn, we work with thousands of designers to bring you fun and funky patterns for you to create. Check out our most popular patterns and check out their original creators! They’re listed on the pattern page!
Kate has been on the Darn Good Yarn team since 2018.
They have their degree in Creative Art Therapy & Psychology - and like crafting and animals a little too much.
