>>>someone doesn't buy a book because then she will be unable to show the finished piece to her friends without getting permission from the author? <<<
As the one who has been most vocal on this point, I have to say again--there's never been any claim that you can't show your work to your friends. However, publishing to the web is mass-production and comes under copyright restrictions. If someone published a book of their work, with detailed photos of the pieces they did from others' patterns, would that not be infringement? Do you really think the publisher would accept the job without permission from the designers? Do you really think the author could win in court using the argument, "I was just showing my work to my friends"? <<<What about the situation where people are afraid to look at a book lest they inadvertantly get ideas from it that they apply to their work? <<< Again, getting ideas is not infringement. Copying the piece is. You can get ideas from several sources and combine them, or mix one or more of them with your own. You can't *reproduce* their design. >>>What about the situation where people are afraid that they will invent on their own a design that resembles one already invented? <<< That's where the 20% rule comes in. *If* you're taken to court by the other designer, they will have to demonstrate that your version is so close to theirs that you couldn't have arrived at it independently. However, we're not talking about going to court. The vast majority of infringement cases (or even apparent cases) never even get to the confrontation stage, much less to court. The expense (money and time) are just not worth it compared to the amount of "lost compensation" of a pattern. We're talking here about how we can be upstanding citizens and do the right thing. And for that, this argument is specious. I know whether I came up with my idea independently, or copied so-and-so. >>>I wonder how many sales of worthy books are being lost and worthy ideas not developed in our zeal not to violate the spirit of the copyright law because we are ignorent of the case law that illuminates it?<<< Considerably fewer than are lost by people "sharing" books and patterns! There is still a great deal of photocopying of others' books, we are still trying to educate people about that. Ten years ago it was a lot worse--many of us have come to realize the error of our ways. But there is still need for further education that this is not only a crime, but hurts us in the long run by harming the source of our patterns. >>>I call for a national movement to demonstrate at Bar Association events, Copyright Conferences and pubs located near Courthouses. Let two lawyers never meet but that there be a lace demonstrator within twenty feet of them...<<< Now there we can agree! Robin P. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA http://www.pittsburghlace.8m.com/ - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
