DWSUDEKUM

I am not sure that that treatise on the subject is totally correct. The thing that I have seen and read is that there is such a morass of laws that no one really knows what is covered and what is not. Thing is the original copyright laws were written in an age where we did not have digital media and electronic ways of distribution. The copyright laws have been tacked on to the original time and time again both here in the US and Abroad. There are even companies and countries out there that do NOT abide by these laws. China, North Korea and a few others come to mindmin this regard. There needs to be a concerted effort to standardize the copyright law for everyone, worldwide.

Recently a pattern from a company that is no longer in business was posted and was pulled for copyright issues. This does however bring up some interesting questions which I am going to repost here so that we can have a good conversation on this important subject I have a copyright question or two or three that I am not sure that anyone in the village can answer. 1st question. If the owner ( a company ) of a pattern goes bankrupt and folds under and does not sell their patterns to another company or entity is it still covered by copyright or does it become public domain? 2nd question If one were to make one of the patterns from said defunct company available for no profit at all would that be a copyright violation. I am not sure as there is no company asset to protect as the pattern is in legal limbo. 3rd question If one were to take one of these patterns and make modifications to it would that be a copyright violation. I personally am leaning to no it is not as the copyright holder no longer exists. 4th question How long from the time that a copyright holder dies or otherwise gives up the copyright does it become public domain? (Birchbark asks these ) 5th question Did the original pattern designer sell all the rights to the magazine, or does that designer still control some part of the rights to that pattern. The praying hands pattern was in the October 1997 issue of the Creative Woodworks and Crafts magazine (no longer in publication ) , is there a credit for the designer listed? 6th Question Does that designer still have the right to sell that design? *** IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS **** Now all of these questions assume of course that all the patterns in the pattern database were not signed over to the parent company, All American Crafts, totally. It also assumes that the pattern database was not sold off to pay debts owed during the bankruptcy proceedings. If this is the case then the aforementioned questions are curiosities and nothing more. Still it is important to understand were we as scrollers and pattern designers sit on this tricky subject. DW

Very nicely done Rob. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Nice work on those Ron. I have a copyright question or two or three that I am not sure that anyone in the village can answer. 1st question. If the owner ( a company ) of a pattern goes bankrupt and folds under and does not sell their patterns to another company or entity is it still covered by copyright or does it become public domain. 2nd question If one were to make one of the patterns from said defunct company available for no profit at all would that be a copyright violation. I am not sure as there is no company asset to protect as the pattern is in legal limbo. 3rd question If one were to take one of these patterns and make modifications to it would that be a copyright violation. I personally am leaning to no it is not as the copyright holder no longer exists. 4th question How long from the time that a copyright holder dies or otherwise gives up the copyright does it become public domain? Now all of these questions assume of course that the pattern database was not sold off to pay debts, if this is the case then the aforementioned questions are curiosities and nothing more.

Very nicely done Todd. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Puzzles. Thanks for sharing these with us. DW

Very nicely done. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Dick. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Kris. You did a great job on this from start to finish. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Some folks are always right, even if they are only left handed. Glad you were able to work around this. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Dave. Great job on it. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Nathan. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Way to represent Kevin. Great job. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done sign. I like the style of this one. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Nicely done Pete. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Not bad at all. Are you going to have to surface the wood yourself or has it been done for you? DW

Very nicely done Dave. Where you aware that the state tree is the White Oak. Great wood choice Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Kevin...The good Lord only gave us 2 hands, 10 fingers and will not give out spares if you cut one off. Please be careful. DW

I like that Dick. We have a farm and steam power event near me every year and I have seen one of these being driven, it was neat. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Nicely done Ike. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Larry. I like the bird on that board, it fits its character nicely. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

Very nicely done Peter. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW

I like that Kevin. Thanks for sharing this with us. DW