[Soprano Knitter]

I'm knitting my first shawl, out of my head, and was thinking of putting a pattern up when I finish it, but it's so simple, that I wonder if it's already out there. Do you think there would be a problem, if I honestly think it's my own?

Thank-you,

Betsy

 

[MarieJanelle]

I think it would be fine. I love simple patterns!

 

[Casey47]

I wonder about this too. I mean, is anything really original. I've seen 2 patterns exactly alike except one was done in stripes. They're by 2 different people. So who's is the original. I use a basic top down ragland pattern all the time and am comfortable enough with it to change it around a lot. I put simple patters in it, work stripes, make a tab front.... I've done all kinds of things but it's my understanding that I can't call these original. So Betsy's question is a good one. When you believe yours is the first is it okay to 'publish' or pass it around for free?

 

[colonialcrafter]

It never hurts to try!!!

 

[victory]

I would also like to know please

 

[Jalsh]

Quick story, I found some clearance yarn at Wal-Mart and bought what was left. When I got home I looked at the yarn and just went at it - I created an original. My masterpiece. A few months later I was invited to a baby shower and took the little blanket that I was so proud of. Lo and behold the Grandmother of the baby-to-be made exactly the same blanket in the exact same yarn! She said that she found it on clearance at Wal-Mart and just made up the pattern in her head! This woman and I have known each other for years, our boys were friends since they were 4 years old. Neither one of us knew that the other one knitted!

 

[Soprano Knitter]

Quick story, I found some clearance yarn at Wal-Mart and bought what was left. When I got home I looked at the yarn and just went at it - I created an original. My masterpiece. A few months later I was invited to a baby shower and took the little blanket that I was so proud of. Lo and behold the Grandmother of the baby-to-be made exactly the same blanket in the exact same yarn! She said that she found it on clearance at Wal-Mart and just made up the pattern in her head! This woman and I have known each other for years, our boys were friends since they were 4 years old. Neither one of us knew that the other one knitted!

WOW!

 

[Soprano Knitter]

I think it would be fine. I love simple patterns!

I love simple ones, too!

 

[Yarn Store]

If it is just for personal use, you'd be ok. If you started selling it, and it was extremely similar to another pattern someone was selling, they could go after you. But it is expensive to hire lawyers to do a stop and desist order. So would they?

So how is one to know there isn't one out there already? Its tough. I'm always considering doing up my jacket patterns, but then I start looking and they are so similar to something already published, so I decide not to.

I'm knitting myself a shortie jacket. I found a pattern I liked, or thought I did. I used a thinner yarn totally causing me to rewrite the pattern, changed the sleeves to set in, and knit it in one piece up to the armholes. But side-by-side with a picture of the original, it is too similar for me to say its my design.

Having fun knitting it anyway, and it will get used a lot!!

I'd think you'd be ok with a baby blanket pattern. Looking forward to seeing that blanket!

 

[Casey47]

If it is just for personal use, you'd be ok. If you started selling it, and it was extremely similar to another pattern someone was selling, they could go after you. But it is expensive to hire lawyers to do a stop and desist order. So would they?

So how is one to know there isn't one out there already? Its tough. I'm always considering doing up my jacket patterns, but then I start looking and they are so similar to something already published, so I decide not to.

I'm knitting myself a shortie jacket. I found a pattern I liked, or thought I did. I used a thinner yarn totally causing me to rewrite the pattern, changed the sleeves to set in, and knit it in one piece up to the armholes. But side-by-side with a picture of the original, it is too similar for me to say its my design.

Having fun knitting it anyway, and it will get used a lot!!

I'd think you'd be ok with a baby blanket pattern. Looking forward to seeing that blanket!

If you changed that much stuff why can't you call it your own? I would say that you've been inspired by the pattern you bought.

 

[Yarn Store]

There is a lot of debate on that. But most copyright lawyers would say that I'm making money on some one else's idea.
or in this case someone else's original design.
and in fact, I've been taught, that "one" can even get a "stop and desist" order on a pattern (take mine in this case) that I might be giving away. Because my free pattern, nearly identical, is taking money away from the original designer.

There are lawyers totally dedicated to the issue of copyright. Copyright lawyers.

I see both sides of the situation. But I guess I tend to support the original designer, because the sale of my yarns are always dependent on what they design. If its all free, will we loose our amazing and innovative designers? Will they stop designing? Food for thought, isn't it.

But luckily, so far, we have many wonderful designers and I'm very thankful for them!

 

[nittineedles]

I have knit a lot of the Non-felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura. However, because I knit them with super bulky yarn instead of the worsted weight called for, I have had to rewrite the pattern. I also added the cute little owls to my slippers BUT it is not my pattern. I would never put it out there for sale or for free as my pattern.
I do keep an eye out for my patterns under someone else's name and if I ever saw that I would be calling my lawyer.

 

[Soprano Knitter]

I have knit a lot of the Non-felted Slippers by Yuko Nakamura. However, because I knit them with super bulky yarn instead of the worsted weight called for, I have had to rewrite the pattern. I also added the cute little owls to my slippers BUT it is not my pattern. I would never put it out there for sale or for free as my pattern.
I do keep an eye out for my patterns under someone else's name and if I ever saw that I would be calling my lawyer.

Very true. (And by the way, your slippers are lovely!)

 

[Casey47]

There is a lot of debate on that. But most copyright lawyers would say that I'm making money on some one else's idea.
or in this case someone else's original design.
and in fact, I've been taught, that "one" can even get a "stop and desist" order on a pattern (take mine in this case) that I might be giving away. Because my free pattern, nearly identical, is taking money away from the original designer.

There are lawyers totally dedicated to the issue of copyright. Copyright lawyers.

I see both sides of the situation. But I guess I tend to support the original designer, because the sale of my yarns are always dependent on what they design. If its all free, will we loose our amazing and innovative designers? Will they stop designing? Food for thought, isn't it.

But luckily, so far, we have many wonderful designers and I'm very thankful for them!

I'm not trying to be dense but..... If you compare a ladies top down ragland pattern, same size, same yarn weight and same size needles from 5 different designers they are going to be very similar. How is that any different from me doing my own thing with a basic pattern and calling it my own? Or what if I draw a schematic of a basic top-down ragland and pick a yarn. Then I use the standard gauge for that yarn, do the math and write the pattern. Chances are I've done a lot of work to come up with the same thing that's already in my pattern book. But I started from scratch so is it an original?

 

[Dsynr]

Quick story, I found some clearance yarn at Wal-Mart and bought what was left. When I got home I looked at the yarn and just went at it - I created an original. My masterpiece. A few months later I was invited to a baby shower and took the little blanket that I was so proud of. Lo and behold the Grandmother of the baby-to-be made exactly the same blanket in the exact same yarn! She said that she found it on clearance at Wal-Mart and just made up the pattern in her head! This woman and I have known each other for years, our boys were friends since they were 4 years old. Neither one of us knew that the other one knitted!

Great minds think alike!

 

[sanchezs]

These are all interesting and I would ilke to throw one more scenario in the mix. I created a pattern for a scarf to help promote a new yarn at the yarn shop I work at. I choose a stitch from the knitting encyclopedia decided on how wide and long. I then searched for a lace border stitch. The border I chose I thought belonged to someone and asked her permission to use it. She replied and said it was not hers but it was in the public domain so anyone could use it. I have been asked to sell my pattern is it okay?

 

[Soprano Knitter]

These are all interesting and I would ilke to throw one more scenario in the mix. I created a pattern for a scarf to help promote a new yarn at the yarn shop I work at. I choose a stitch from the knitting encyclopedia decided on how wide and long. I then searched for a lace border stitch. The border I chose I thought belonged to someone and asked her permission to use it. She replied and said it was not hers but it was in the public domain so anyone could use it. I have been asked to sell my pattern is it okay?

hmmm...I don't know...hopefully somebody does...i'm also wondering, if I were to sell the shawls I make from my own pattern, would it be alright, even if it's very similar to other pattern, or could I get in trouble, because someone thinks I made it from a copyrighted pattern?

 

[nittineedles]

The border I chose I thought belonged to someone and asked her permission to use it. She replied and said it was not hers but it was in the public domain so anyone could use it. I have been asked to sell my pattern is it okay?

Yes, it is OK. People are selling copies of patterns that are in the public domain. If it's in the public domain it belongs to no one, the copyright has run out and you can do what you like with it.

 

[sanchezs]

Thank you so much. I will move forward.