Dear spiders
I'd just like to add my two pennyworth here as I have personal experience of copyright infringement. Whilst browsing through the books at Olympia (London) when visiting a large craft fair, I happened to notice a book on stumpwork so took it from the shelf and flicked through the pages. I thought I saw a pattern of the Swan with raised wings from my own book Needlelace, but thought it couldn't possibly be! However, this 'niggled' away at the back of my mind and I just had to go back and take another look, to satisfy my curiosity. Sure enough, it was my design and even though I did not want the book, I had to buy a copy to take home and compare with my own. Whilst waiting for my friend to arrive, I read the Introduction and Acknowledgements where my name and that of Jane Nicholas and Jill Nordfors Clark were acknowledged as having been a great influence, which was of course very generous of this lady and much appreciated. I then turned to the page for the swan and I quote 'One day a book arrived in the mail from my friend -------------- It was Needlelace Designs and Techniques by Catherine Barley. Along with a note "..... you need to design a swan to teach at seminar next year". So I did'! To my mind, this statement left the reader in no doubt that the design was her own. However, I traced off the pattern pieces and placed the tracing on top of the pattern in my own book to discover that it was exactly the same, even to the placement of pattern pieces on the page. There had been no attempt whatsoever to perhaps change the shape of the wings, or elongate and perhaps change the angle of the neck. I know a swan is a swan but... Flattering as it is, it is plagiarism! I had been having correspondence with an American lady who owned a needlelwork shop in the US and emailed her asking for her opinion. She was horrified and gave me names and addresses of two gentlemen in America who were taking up this issue which was apparently a big problem over there. She was also concerned about her own legal position as a retailer of both my book and that (self published) by the other person. Now that it had been brought to her notice about copyright infringement, how did she stand herself? She decided to no longer stock this other lady's book! I own the copyright of my book but did write to this lady pointing out that vast sums of money are paid in the music industry for plagiarism and that I had no intention of taking the matter any further but that she should be aware that others might not be so generous, namely publishers. I felt that she had committed this act in all innocence as she had actually mentioned my name twice in print, and surely would not have drawn attention to my own book, had she realised what she had done. She did respond with an apology saying that she had forgotten at the time, where the design had originated. My book was originally published in 1993 and hers in 2000. Authors of craft books do not write them to become wealthy ( as someone else has already pointed out) but to pass on their skills and knowledge to others, so that the craft may survive the passing of time. I for one, don't mind how many times folk copy patterns or if it is more than 10%. If someone buys a lace book and works their way through it as the author intended, having given a great deal of thought to making the patterns 'progressive', then particularly for bobbin lace patterns, the owner of the book would have to photocopy every pattern in the book to be able to work them. And why not! She has purchased the book and as far as I am concerned, it is hers to use as she pleases! Catherine Barley Henley-0n-Thames United Kingdom - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
