Asking mostly because one of these “clients” really made me consider selling some of these professionally. Figured I’d better do some research based on what I know about music copyrights. Scoured the one book that I get most of the patterns from, even the author’s website. Couldn’t find anything. Will look in another reliable book as soon as i can find it.

I’m a few months late in replying, thanks for the post though!

Koos New York

Also, that last outfit you posted, with the dip-dye dress? Perfection, as far as I can see. It’s modern, striking, and suits you down to the ground. I know you’re after lots of heated debate in response to your posts, but I hope you don’t mind a little flattery instead, from a tired mind

As a photographer, I always try to think of a photography analogy when talking about copyrights. My thoughts re: commercial patterns was that it’s kind of like stock photography. As a photographer, you make your money by selling your photo to a stock photography agency. Then that agency licenses it out to anyone who wants to pay for it, and that person gets to use the photo (per the terms of the license) in commercial contexts, e.g. in an advertisement or as an illustration in a publication or website, etc. I was thinking patterns worked like that: by buying the pattern, you are licensed to make garments from that pattern, for commercial use or otherwise. But I hadn’t read the fine print on any patterns’ licenses, so I stand corrected. To carry the analogy further: it would be a copyright violation for a person who bought a stock photo to then try to license the photo to other people — I was thinking that the fashion design equivalent of that violation would be to photocopy or re-draw a pattern and try to resell it, claiming as one’s own. That, or like Ashley Dayley did, claiming the design was her own at a fashion show– that’s really not okay.

Of course the design of the garment is a large part of why a consumer purchases it, and I didn’t mean at all to diminish the original designer’s role and rights. Just that, my impression was that the designer had received the money for their work when they had sold it as a commercial pattern (and perhaps they received royalties each time that pattern sells?). I definitely agree that a dressmaker should not claim herself as the “designer” of a garment if she made it using a commercial pattern!

http://www.cbc.ca/mansbridge/

What made me think you might enjoy the discussion is mostly your comments about boycotting / not boycotting China. They bring up this issue, and I figured it would be an automatic “boycotting is the solution” answer. But the ever-so-at-peace dalai lama does not agree. I feel that although he does not have the same connection with China as we Westerners do, he has a totally different perspective which is always interesting to hear.

Anyway, it is a long-ish interview if you have the time )

National Geographic has a fascinating issue out on China right now, lots of amazing pictures and stories!