Copyright infringement of a quilt - what to do??

[Frances L.]

You are so justified in your thoughts about your creative intellectual property rights being violated. Always add a watermark and copyright symbol to your work.The copyright duration tables are readily available from museums, universities, and the United States Copyright Office, thus there is no excuse for violators.

When you place the copyright symbol on your pattern, photo, painting or intellectual property this identifies the work specifically to you. You do not have to register your work for the copyright to be valid. However, if you intend to take steps to stop someone from copyright theft, it is very helpful to have a registered copyright documented. You can do this without a lawyer. It is easy to do and the forms are available online.

It is no consolation, but you have joined the ranks of countless artists like Cynthia England, a Houston International Quilt Show Winner, and Robert Indiana who designed LOVE, Jimmy Buffet, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney and all of us who feel your frustration.. The question is, is it worth the trouble and money to go after the violator? It depends. My thoughts are always watermark and add the copyright symbol and notify offenders when they overstep. regards from the Wild Horse Desert

[Rob H.]

I agree and disagree

Many years ago I got accused of stealing a woman's design. She wanted my prize

[Rob H.]

I agree and disagree

Many years ago I got accused of stealing a woman's design. She wanted my prize

That is terrible!

In this particular case, if you were to view side by side photos it would leave no doubt, at all, that the 2 quilts are identical (with the exception that actually the later one, by the woman who copied mine, is actually better.....I was a very novice quilter, it was only my 2nd quilt to quilt at all and using a very tiny home machine; hers is gorgeous as she was already an experienced quilter).

I did not/have not/will not pursue anything other than I did contact her and ask her to update her blog post to indicate she used my design (she had claimed in her blog that she designed it herself), which she readily did. I then contacted the multiple places that have picked it up (she submitted it, as her original, to several fan websites since it is based on a video game) and had them likewise update to include that it is actually my original design (they all did). So I"m happy with the outcome; since it's based on a video game, it's nothing I could ever make money from anyway, and I sincerely don't mind, at all, that she *made* the quilt.....I cared that she claimed to have designed it, when in fact my son explained to me exactly what he wanted, down to placement of each & every element.

The copied version went so far as using even the same shades of green in the background, in the same places (I made hourglass blocks for the body of the quilt, and she literally followed my coloring, triangle for triangle). If you look up "legend of zelda quilt" or "legend of zelda quilt sword" you'll see a quilt with a yellow triangle in the center and a sword appliqued over it; one version is amazing (admittedly, hers), one version is wrinkly (because again, I was a novice, 2nd quilt ever quilted...) but you'll be able to see that aside from the outer border (she did a thin blue border with wide green outside; I did multi-colored and then black, because that's what I had) the quilts are virtually identical (and mine came first). Only when I did an image search for it did I even find all the different places she'd submitted it as her original design; that was the part that bothered me. Make the quilt, copy it, that is fine....but admit that it was designed by someone else.

*in fact, the very fact that I can do an image search of my version and have hers come up in the search should indicate just how "similar" they truly are.....

[Rob H.]

Learn as I go

Oh I understand. And that is pretty original. . Mine was a Vortex. And this woman told me I copied hers. But hers was a mess.

I was taught to hand quilt by three old ladies including my grandmother. One was quaker. She actually told me once I was better than any of her friends. I was young what a compliment. Made me feel special.

And the funny thing was my father was an engineer and after I created the rows he helped calculate the optimal angle for the wedges to make a perfect circle for the vortex. I do not remember the angle but we cut a template out of 1/4 plywood to cut the wedges. One of the few fond memories with him

So many today say they own a design. Like that vortex quilt has been around since the 1800s. So how can you own the design. Blocks squares. Now they can copyright a method. But not a basic geometric design.

But a Zelda quilt. That is pretty original.

I understand my current passion is lace quilts. I have spoken to Susan Stewart several times and she provides me great inspiration. People ask I always she inspired me.

So I understand. And sorry someone is low enough to do that. It is sad.

[Rob H.]

That sounds beautiful; I'd love to see a photo sometime. I love that your dad helped you calculate the angles, etc.; what a precious memory. And yes, what a compliment you received, too, for your quilting! I started off hand piecing & quilting (though only one small thing did I ever hand quilt), and I was much more accurate with that but once I got a machine and realized how many more projects I could finish, I never went back!

Certainly can't say she owned that pattern....very true. I'm sorry she was ugly about it, though, and definitely agree with you there's a difference in patterns or blocks in the public domain vs something artsy. (not that some public domain styles aren't also artwork....). And like you, if I"m inspired by someone else, I say so. It's a shame not all folks are like that.