re: on-line photos -- line between inspired by vs copied?

[kathyst2]

I was reading the thread about whether or not to post photos on-line of quilts in progress, etc. and it got me wondering about something.

When is it okay to see a photo and be inspired to do something yourself that is similar? Or not?

With the advent of the Pinterest boards it is so easy to search pictures seen on-line and get ideas for future quilts. Not to copy directly or try to duplicate exactly, but seeing some idea and tweaking it to suit yourself.

For example, I saw a quilt on-line -- left was solid white, right side was solid black, but they sort of interlocked (ie, the middle had alternating colors) and a bold bright green outline separating the white from the black.

Meanwhile, I'm looking for ideas for a black/white/red quilt for my son, who wants me to feature some of his comic strips in fabric for a quilt for his bed (he draws his own comics). So, I see this quilt and am inspired.

Not copying the design exactly; his will be rail fence blocks (large), with one side being white w/black print, the other side being black w/white print (so, not solids), the middle being 2 columns wide instead of 1 column wide and the middle will be grays I think, maybe keep with the black/white, and outlined in red. Also I'll add a pieced funky border, whereas the inspiration quilt was borderless.

I am not copying the block design or anything like that, and I don't think it would seem a copy, though I guess it would be seen as inspired by pretty easily. Similar enough, yet different enough *I think.* Basically I took the idea of the interlocking sides, one side white, one side black. Tweaked it out by swapping from solid to rail fence w/printed fabrics, etc.

Now -- I don't have any plans to ever enter this quilt in anything, it's just going on my son's bed. But still.....is this verging on copyright infringement, and if so, what should I do?

I was thinking I could put on the quilt label "inspired by xyz quilt" but should I email the quilt owner, if I can trace it back to the original blog, and share my rough drawing with her and be sure she's okay with that? as far as I know this wasn't a professional quilter, not a show quilt, etc. Does that make a difference?

Thoughts? Advice? I don't really want to change my plans, my son loves the idea of this quilt, but I could talk him into a different arrangement if I have to.

[kathyst2]

Okay, found the original on flickr and left a comment for the quilt maker about this. We'll see what she says!

Still love to hear from folks, though -- in general, is that necessary? Nice? Not needed? Other???

[Reetzbobeetz]

IMHO, we are all inspired by quilts that we see and the only time that I would credit another quilt maker would be if I had directly copied somebody else's work exactly. For example, my BOM 2011 I have called 'My Apprentice Piece' but I would put a label on it to say that it was my version of Sue Garman's 'Ruffled Roses' for TQS. My pineapple quilt used Gyleen Fitzgerald's technique so the idea came from her but the combination is my own. If I entered that quilt into a competition I would credit Gyleen Fitzgerald's 'Trash to Treasure' technique on the label. I suppose that even though your quilt is for your son's bed it would be good for history to label it with an indication of where the inspiration came from. But I don't believe it is necessary to contact every quilt maker that inspires us to ask permission to make a variation on a theme. That way madness lies.

[she-quilts]

I do not think you would need to credit the quilter whose quilt inspired you. You are not making one "just like hers" and really have "been inspired" and then pushed it farther and designed it for you. Sometimes a colorway inspires me and then I make it my own. Other times I might draft a pattern like another has done but it is a public domain block anyway.

My .02.

[she-quilts]

Rita & Joyce, thank you!!

I thought I was fine on this, but the other thread got me thinking about it and wondering at what point it crosses from inspiration to copying.

I did label my first quilt with what I named it as well as listed the pattern & pattern maker that I used (I bought a pattern but changed the colors from the original), and also credited the person who quilted it for me, so I don't mind listing "inspired by...." on one, either. Same thing when I get around to finishing my diary quilt, I'll mention that I used Mimi Dietrich's book as a guide (and credit the friend who helped me figure arrangement ) and such.

Definitely with public domain blocks I don't consider that to be copying, so that is easy. Just thinking out loud, and if I ever design my own thing (well, I have a few in the rough sketch stage....) and they ever get copied I wonder -- would I want to know??? Just thinking through the nuances of this.....

[she-quilts]

I've been looking into copyright a bit, and I feel a lot of it comes down to 'Are you trying to make money out of someone else's design?' or 'Are you trying to pass off someone else's original design as your own?' The answer to the first question is usually quite easy to work out. The second question is also fairly easy, but can depend on circumstance, especially if you enter your work into competitions - it can be the 'acknowledgement' or 'lack of' on the label that could get others muttering and again is it for sale or for private enjoyment.

Take for instance Ricky's Rhapsody quilt style, which is designed in a very similar method to Hawaiian quilts. It is entirely possible that a quilter in UK who has never heard of Ricky, but knows the Hawaiian style could come up with something similar to Ricky's Rhapsody all by her/himself. Is that copying? or inspired by? or what?

Sometimes we are inspired by something we saw years ago and had forgotton, but then are reminded by seeing certain colour combinations, and not realising it re-design something very similar to the original, despite there having been several years since seeing the 'original' - it can be very difficult keeping track on what our original source of design was sometimes.

As for colour combinations, just think about the recent exhibiton in NY of only Red and White quilts, none of them were copies, but they were all the same colour combination, and there were hundreds of them

I think I have been rambling a bit here, probably a bit sideways from the original topic (so what's new there, then :roll: ) But I hope it gives some food for thought.

[she-quilts]

Rosemary, thank you! Only a bit sideways, and I appreciate those little side tangents

You are quite right, we can easily arrive at something similar even w/o seeing the original; I've been struck by this very thing here in Brazil, looking at native crafts and local art and noting how oddly similar things seem to native/local arts in other places. I suppose the saying "there's nothing new under the sun" really is true!

I do think your guideline questions are spot on --- if we aren't making money (including exhibiting and possibly winning a prize) and we aren't claiming something as original that we've copied, then we should be okay. At least, I hope so! And you're quite right too, we might see something, forget about it but years later design something that reflects what we've seen.

Very good food for thought and I enjoyed hearing/reading it!

[she-quilts]

I always think, when in doubt--say inspired by--on the label.

[she-quilts]

OUR rich quilt history comes from being inspired by our ancestors historical quilts. Pioneers use to share the patterns and designs with each other. Art through history has been inspired by what was seen in nature and in life.

I feel strongly if you use something to inspire you to make your own design or pattern. You do not copy slavishly. You do your own math and draft your own patterns to make your quilt it is yours.

If you copy something verbatim, use the same colors or a kit from that pattern you owe acknowledgement to the original quilter.

That said, I do not put any of that information on my quilt. My quilt labels are simple.... Name, year, location I made the quilt. Maybe something for the giftee ...

Entries in a quilt show would have the long-armer's name, patterns, etc on a typed plaque but not in the quilt. The typed plaque can be read by show goer.

Nonnie

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