Carving Ethics

[KimHoJo]

I've seen variations on this thread, but here's my question: What are the "rules" on selling a carving made from pattern in a magazine/book?

I recall the author of one of my carving books saying that he didn't mind people selling carvings based on his patterns because everyone added their own special touch to the work and that made it unique and original. I assume this would apply to the recreational carver like me, and not someone attempting to mass produce his work.

Are there any good rules of thumb to use? I'd like to sell a piece that I based on magazine project, but I don't know if it would be appropriate. I'm not sure which would be worse: to not credit the original artist, or to have their name associated with the hunk of wood I hacked away at.

[Greyhair]

The answer to this has two sides. The legal side and the ethical side. Unless a person "copyrights" their work they do not have any legal basis to object to copies. From an ethical perspective it is a simple question. Do I have a concern about this piece being represented as my creation if I based it upon an idea or even a pattern of another person?
I can not answer that question for anyone but myself.
I have participated in classes with a carving instructor a carved a piece under the instructors tutelege. When ever I have posted a picture of it I have always mentioned that it was done in a class. I have also carved some caricatures based on patterns in carving books that I have purchased.
I paid for those books and the books have all said that it is permissable to make copies of the patterns. In some cases I have made them to a scale the same as the authors and in other cases I have changed the scale. When I have posted pictures of them I have always given credit to the carver who made the pattern by stating "based on a pattern by ...".
I have also carved rough outs sold by some carvers and have always indicated that this was "From a rough-out of ..."
Now I have seen carvers who have posted pictures of their work and not done any of the above. I do not think any less of them for doing so. What I have said is what I do and not what I expect anyone else to do. If you are happy with another approach it does not bother me. Those of us who have been at this awhile recognize these carvings for what they are and if the source of the pattern is from a well known carver we know that and so it does not matter to most of us.