As an author of books of patterns (for horses, not lace), I was told by my
publisher that a person must own, i.e. buy, a copy of a pattern to use it to
make the item, and if a book is the only place the pattern is published, the
person must buy the book. You cannot borrow book from a library and use a
pattern from the book you have borrowed - you do not own a copy of the
pattern. You borrow a book of patterns to decide whether or not you want to
buy a pattern to use. I know The Lace Society, at least, used to issue a
warning about not using patterns from books borrowed from their library.
Most books carry a notice on the copyright page saying that the book cannot
be resold, but in most cases it wouldn't be practical or financially worth
the author or publisher taking legal action to stop a secondhand copy being
sold. In fact, in many cases it gets the designer's work known when it
wouldn't be otherwise because of cost, availability, etc. If the work is out
of print, not being able to get a secondhand copy would deprive those
interested (Miss Channer's mat is a good example). (Incidentally the
secondhand copy of "Further Steps in Honiton Lace" offered by en ebay seller
at GBP75.00 with GBP7.00 p&p ends tonight and still has not attracted a
bid.)
In the UK you do not register your copyright. You own the copyright as soon
as you publish, ie put your work down on paper or any other medium, whether
or not is is seen by others. I was advised by my publisher (in 1983) to send
a copy of the original typescript/manuscript to myself with a signed and
witnessed seal, by recorded delivery at the same time as I sent to a
publisher to establish the work as mine.
Jan in Poole, Dorset, UK
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