copyright question

[darnley]

I've been carving a lot of Santa Clauses. I did learn from a book, but now have made changes so that the design is more my original. However, the copyright info in the front of the book says you can only use for personal use and not sell any thing from the book. Am I misunderstanding this? I've seen plenty of carvings for sale at craft shows and I'm sure those people learned somewhere. What constitutes a copyright infringement? Thanks for any info on this.

[Lynn O. Doughty]

Wouldnt worry about it. As long as you're not selling the books designs or making resin casts of the carvings in the books you dont have anything to worry about. Anyone who published a howto book should understand that people are going to reproduce the carvings. About all that would happen if they wanted to press it would be to ask you to cease and desist. Have never heard of that happening in the 30 some years I've been carving.

[MelNM]

Here we go again, there's been servral threads related to this subject. I kind of wonder my self, if a carve learns from another carve, he or she could develope the same style and their carvings can look a lot a like. I think pretty much the same as Lynn, they are teaching you a certain way to carve, if your carving look some what like theirs, its more of a compliment to their training, on the other hand if its an exact replica of a carving they have done and you don't at least give them credit for the design it could cause a problem, but even then I think its more of an ethical type problem(My 2.5 cents worth).

Who's book did you learn to carve Santa's from. I have done servral also, Ron Ramsom was the first, then Tom Wolfes, I liked Toms because it gave me the tools to start creating my own, another good one is by Sean Cipia(hope I spelled it right)

[Irish]

Hi Darnley,

Lynn's points are excellent. How-to books are meant to be used and the designs are meant to be carved by the book purchaser. It's the actual patterns, designs and written instructions that are copyrighted.

I would add that as you have made changes in the designs, added what you have learned from other sources, again you are not infringing. You have every right to sell your originals!

Susan

[darnley]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I had hoped that would be the way you would view it, but I wasn't sure. Haven't checked the site enough to see the other threads, I guess. Yes, Tom Wolfe's books are the ones I have learned the most from. He really got me started.

[whitecree]

My 2 cents: As long as you are not making a virtual copy, detail for detail, I think you are okay. All artists build from one another's ideas. Maybe you will copy a carving the first time, but the 2nd time you will do it differently, and by the time you've made it 10 times, it really will be your own original.

[Mitchell]

I moved this to the General forum as it was not directed to a specific author. Plus it saved from constant moderation that's required in the Author Questions forum.

[DICK "chipncut" CAIN]

Hi ,
I often wondered about that. Most of my carvings are created by copying a photo, painting, or someones drawing. I don't usually copy other carvings. So what's everybodies thoughts on this?

Regards, Chipncut Smile

PS: I never sell my carvings.