Finding patterns

[LisaS]

I'm curious - if I see a graphic somewhere - let's say a Christmas card - under what conditions can I render that as a pattern for carving? I mean, I'm pretty sure I could do that for my own use, but what if I wanted to give it as a gift? Is that generally OK? What if I wanted to take it to acraft sale or post it a photo on a website/internet store? Do I need permission of some sort from the original artist or publisher?

[sebastiaan56]

Depends on who owns the copyright and how closely you copy it. If your copy is pixel perfect you will be assuming another's intellectual property, if you interpret the design and turn it into something else then the work is demonstrably yours. The area is fraught with peril, the laws vary from country to country. My perspective is from Australia, I dont know where you are from.

There is a court case going on here where a song used a riff that was a speeded, the rhythm changed up and transposed from a song written 50 odd years before. The songwriters are being taken for theft of intellectual property by the owners of the estate. There are a lot of people watching very closely.

[Eddy-Smiles]

Lisa... I'd say that for your own use or for a gift you'd be okay. If you sold it and it was a close resembalance of the original picture or photograph then you might want to protect yourself by getting the artist's permission, especially if you plan to post it on the internet. For additional information on this subject try a search of previous threads...copyright infringement.

[LisaS]

I can't believe I didn't try a search first. D'oh! Thanks for the gentle push in that direction.

[Claude]

Advice is worth what you pay for it. Generally, for your own use, converting a photo or drawing or painting into a carving is ok. For a gift, also ok. For sale at a craft or art show, might be copyright infringement. My advice is free. A copyright lawyer is several hundred dollars per hour, and he/she'll probably give you the same advice; but remember: I said advice is worth what you pay for it....

Claude

[LisaS]

I guess I wasn't sure if the change in media was sufficient change to not infringe - but from what I've read so far here that isn't true.