Copyright

Hello dear forum, 

I’d like to start designing crochet patterns for amigurumi. 
I’m looking for help with copyright. 

Do you have a contact person for me? 

Best regards, 
sylvie 

What exactly are you asking about? Copyright for your own patterns? Copyright for other people’s patterns? I think it should be clear that you’re not allowed to copy from other people’s patterns.  

Hello, Wonderful Creative Chaos,

This is indeed about “copying.”

So far, I’ve been crocheting using other patterns, and now I’d like to try designing my own and then selling them.

My question is: Can I protect myself from accusations of copying?

Because, let’s put it this way—you can’t exactly reinvent the wheel when it comes to amigurumi.
And so there are bound to be some similarities here and there—in the shapes, decorations, etc.

How strict are the rules in this regard?


Best regards, Sylvie 

It’s certainly possible that things might look similar from time to time. There are already tons of patterns here for things like teddy bears, but they’re all different in some way. So you should make sure your designs have something unique about them.
A good example is licensed merchandise, where the recognition factor is much higher. You can crochet countless ducks and even dress them up, but if at some point they start looking too much like Donald Duck, you’ll run into trouble.

You should also avoid copying individual parts from other people’s patterns. It’s always best to sit down and try it out yourself. It’s even better not to base your work on other crocheted items or draw inspiration from them. That always results in a certain similarity. I can spot it right away when someone releases something new and has been looking for something that already exists. To make a living as a creator, you should always set yourself apart from others.

It’s nearly impossible to protect your own designs 100%. The rule here is: If your designs are unique, they’ll be harder to copy because the similarity will stand out immediately.

Thank you all for your replies. 

I’ll just give it a try. 
Let’s see what comes of it. 

I hope you all have a lovely Sunday