dagblog - Comments for "Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice"

I was told from my sources

trkingmomoe — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 12:38:39 +0000

I was told from my sources that he helped her get the copywrite. It was his idea and he bankrolled. All she did was sign a paper and he paid her for it. Remember Amish avoid government if they can get away with it. Had she realized what he was up to she would not have done it. He went after the book publisher of Beautiful Bargello. They are not sure if they settle in 2000 or it went no where. The author of the book only used a traditional bargello pattern for the table runner and the book was into the process of publication before the copy write. They tried to go after copywrite infringement. The making of Bargello quilts as a fad died quickly. Quilters moved on.

He is wanting a percentage of the sales of those quilts. He just the neighborhood quilt Mafia. He sales quilt that are made in Cambodia.

If I was the B and B lady, I would take it down from the wall and put it on a bed and charge a little more for that room.

Thanks, Momoe. I knew you

Ramona — Sat, 15 Feb 2014 03:41:45 +0000

In reply to That was all this person did

Thanks, Momoe. I knew you would have the history. So the "Almost Amish" guy has already been in trouble and he still has the nerve to throw his weight around about the copyright. That's chutzpah!

You're right that anyone can make it if they want to. I'm wondering about the woman who owns one at the B&B and might want to sell it? I don't see how they would have a case, since the quilt was made long before they held the copyright to the pattern. Those quilts will be sold and resold and I can't imagine they have any legal claim to any of them.

Thanks for the history. The

EmmaZahn — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 18:38:53 +0000

In reply to That was all this person did

Thanks for the history. The photo of the quilt in the article was so reminiscent of colonial samplers I have seen that I doubted the copyright would survive a challenge. The biggest problem is finding someone or some organization with the means and desire to challenge it. Another problem is that reporters like this one either do not check on or do not report the validity of the copyright.

The misuse, abuse and perversion of copyright and patent laws is one of my pet peeves because of how they stifle the exchange of knowledge and skills. That is why the story caught my attention.

That was all this person did

trkingmomoe — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 04:38:04 +0000

In reply to Thanks for the info, Momoe.

That was all this person did in the first place was reverse the colors. The pattern was originally in a White Birches publication that Annie Attic now owns as a table runner. If you look at the last link I gave you below you will see that the pattern was published for a table runner in 1997 and this lady didn't copywrite it until 1999. All she did was reverse the colors. This is a local Lancaster feud. The pattern is in an e-book and lots of people have it. Someone a decade or so ago went after this guy for pretending to sell Amish made quilts. The quilts were coming from a so called Amish mission in Cambodia and Laos and some of the profits was going back to the mission. They would give mini loans to people to buy what they needed to make the quilts, train them and then buy them back made at this mission. That is all good and well but the quilts were not made in the USA by Mennonites or Amish. So now the company is called Almost Amish and it is pay back time to the real Amish quilters to cut into their cottage industry.

If you like the quilt there is no reason that you can't have one made? There is no way that Almost Amish can keep an eye on every grandma, raffle quilt or silent auction in the country. Just don't publish the quilt on the internet because the lawyer will be searching for it every day.

The quilt according to the web site comes with a paper certificate stating the quilt is Amish made but only signed by a first name of the person who made the top and the first name of the person who quilted it. In todays world of professional quilters the quilt is always signed by full name, location and date on the quilt. Most Amish also do this now. Quilt providence is important today in order for the quilt to hold it's value. First names is not enough and a paper certificate is not enough for a quilt collector. Quilts are bought and sold as Art.

Thanks for the info, Momoe.

Ramona — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 12:53:17 +0000

In reply to It is a bargello design in a

Thanks for the info, Momoe. What struck me about the Light in the Valley fuss is that the new pattern owners seem to be claiming the right to forbid the sale of quilts already made in that pattern.

A Light in the Valley quilt is hanging in the King's Cottage bed and breakfast in Lancaster.

Ann Willets, one of the owners, called it "amazing and shocking" that the wall hanging the B&B purchased last year, which it planned to sell, can't be sold because of the copyright.

"I can see from a proprietary standpoint, that if you created this design, then you wouldn't want other people making money off it," Willets said. "But I'm really surprised, and I may not be able to sell it now. This must be something new in the 21st century, "

I love the 3D look of Bargello and have seen many different variations. The Light in the Valley effect is pretty stunning. I wonder if there's a way to get around the copyright by adjusting the effect slightly, or is it that particular deep "valley" effect that they're able to copyright?

Here is another point. There

trkingmomoe — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 08:08:08 +0000

In reply to Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice

Here is another point. There is soft wear that you can buy that will help you design a bargello quilt. Here is one of the old books that is now in e-book form.

http://www.e-patternscentral.com/detail.html?prod_id=5284

Here is another one that shows the point of light like a Kincaid painting.

http://www.shopmartingale.com/more-twist-and-turn-bargello-quilts.html

Here is an comparison to light in the valley to an Connecting thread pattern.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1/light-valley-quilt-if-you-like-look-post-t22616.html

It is a bargello design in a

trkingmomoe — Thu, 13 Feb 2014 06:35:17 +0000

In reply to Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice

It is a bargello design in a quilt that is done in strip piecing. Bargello has been around since the 16th century. I am sure you find a tile floor somewhere in Europe with that exact design. It is a flame and medallion motif combination. Making bargello quilts was a fad about 15 years ago with quilters but they got over it very fast. It is an easy but boring quilt. It is a quilt that will drive you crazy if you are a perfectionist. If you get the colors just right it will look 3D in any of the traditional bargello patterns. There are unfinished bargello quilts all over the place in quilters' stashes. I don't think Points of Light is in print anymore. So the author/designer sold it for what she could get. Bargello is a traditional needle point technique. I made a pillow years ago in the flame pattern.

Anyone who has been in a quilt guild knows that you can't use a published pattern for a fund raiser quilt without asking for written permission to sell it from the author. They normally give you permission because it is good publicity and they sell more books. Mostly quilters stick with traditional patterns when selling in the public and design their own.

I looked up Almost Amish and they are competing with Lancaster cottage industry. That is why they are doing what they are doing. Points of light must be a hot seller to the east coast urbanite. Most of their quilts come out of south east Asia and are hand made there for pennies. They do mail order and how else could they keep up with demand. The quilts are still nice quilts because it is done as missionary work. They know the Amish isn't going to take them to court.

The Amish ladies will stop making and selling them and someday the east coast will get tired of that design and won't want Asian hand made quilts, even if the quality is good. If you want a Amish quilt you buy it from a clothsline at a farm or at an auction in a rural Amish community.

I hope this backfires and

wabby — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 22:15:55 +0000

In reply to Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice

I hope this backfires and takes a dump in the Treadwells' lap. I hope they never make a dime off this pattern and the only ones that get rich are the lawyers. This is the epitome of silly.

There are a multitude of quilt patterns to choose from so screw 'em.

What happens in quilt club stays in quilt club.

New definition for "fair

artappraiser — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 21:59:26 +0000

In reply to Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice

New definition for "fair use": if you use it on your very own bed....?

Wow, I can see owning the

Ramona — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 17:52:00 +0000

In reply to Copyrighted quilts: Lawyers put shops, fire companies and mud sales on notice

Wow, I can see owning the copyright to the pattern but where is the precedent for forbidding the sale of quilts already made from that pattern before owning the copyright? It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

I hope trkngmomoe sees this. She'll probably have more to say about it.