What do you think about another type of "theft" in BJD's: Photocopying

On second thought never mind...

 

If it is a commercial pattern, I buy from the creator. If someone asks me for a copy, I would direct them to the place I bought mine. I only photocopy and share free patterns. I guess I just like to play fair. I know it doesn't bother lots of people to share small things like patterns, but it would bother me and I try to keep a clear conscience whenever possible.

 

OP, you may be missing the forest for the trees in that a pattern copy could be considered advertising for the artist in question. Being a content creator is not a cost-free process, and sometimes it's better to take a short-term hit in order to gain a long-term paying customer. That is essentially what all advertising everywhere is hoping to achieve.

I'm neither specifically for nor specifically against pattern sharing. But I do want to point out that the issue goes deeper than the "Obvious" answer you're going for of 1 pattern = 1 sale.

 

If I was asked in person from a personal friend that I know would only make the item for their own enjoyment then I would probaly give them a copy of a single pattern and let them know where they could buy more.I don't think I would copy and entire book of patterns if asked. I think that is going too far. If it was someone that I didn't know too well or a friend known to sell their craft I would direct them to where I purchased it and they should understand. I have gotten books from the library on crafts and patterns and have made copies in order to make the project later for personal use and gifts. Which I never really thought twice about until I saw this thread. Now you have me thinking.

 

Patterns, especially if they're published in book form or even in the commercial form you find in most sewing/fabric stores, are still copyrighted material, and therefore it is considered stealing if a person who owns the book photocopies it and distributes to others.

 

I guess my thought on patterns is this: if you buy a pattern, you cut it out and use it. You can use it over and over again until the paper falls apart (at which point I would hope you'd made a copy so you can still use the pattern you legitimately paid for). But you can also use it once then give it to another person to use, and then they can give it back to you. In that respect, I don't see how it's really much different than making a copy, aside from the fact that you can't both use the pattern at the same time.

As for a book...no, I don't think it's right to copy the entire thing and hand it out to people. However, most pattern books have patterns on both sides of the pages, so you can't really just tear out the pages and cut out the patterns to be able to use them. It's a requirement to make a copy, otherwise you're missing out on patterns. So that part is okay. And if you rent a book from the library, you also can't rip out the pages of the book to be able to use them, so, once again, you have to copy.

I dunno. I guess it depends on the situation and the reason for use. *shrugs*

 

So does that mean that what some people in this hobby do or recommend others to do, namely resize existing (human scale) patterns to bjd size (which is also copying in a way) is a no-no too?

And I have to agree with ETNsilverstar, copying patterns is technically stealing and should be avoided as much as possible, but sometimes you have no choice but to copy a pattern before you can even use it.

 

I've bought a few patterns off the internet and I wouldn't make copies of them for other people, at the end of the day they aren't expensive so if someone wanted one I would just give them the details on where to buy them from. I don't have any pattern books but if there was one I wanted and it was still available I'd rather have the original than some photocopies myself. If the book was out of print though and no longer available to buy then I wouldn't see it as a bad thing to let others have a copy for their own use.

If I borrowed a book on patterns from the library specifically to use for making my dolls clothes (unlikely as I highly doubt my local library would have anything about the kind of patterns I like lol) then I would have to make copies of the patters so that I wouldn't destroy the book, what do people think about that? Would the pattern pieces I used need to be destroyed when I returned the book or should we just not use pattern books unless we have bought them ourselves or been given them by someone who has?

What about lending someone a pattern book? They will most likely make a copy of the patterns unless they just want to look at pictures of pretty clothes so should people not lend out their resources?

And what about buying a pattern and making a personal copy so that the original isn't ruined in use and then giving away or selling on the pattern at a later date once it is no longer wanted or needed? Should the copy that was made for practical use be sold/given away along with the original or destroyed if it is still useable or is it OK to keep it for future reference?

 

I agree with a lot of what you guys are saying >_< I think its wrong to share patterns for sure. =/ I like to make a lot of patterns myself and I would be fairly hurt if someone else went sharing it around without giving me any credit... Something that I admit to doing is taking basic patterns that other people have and then add to it and reshape/tailor the patterns and add details to make it my own. In your opinions would that be frowned upon? =S

 

Oh my gosh, am I sick of that one! Give me a break. Stealing something and then passing it around and calling it marketing is nothing more than someone who didn't want to pay for something rationalizing that they're really "helping" the artist out. When an artist wants marketing, they'll ask for it, thank-you-very-much.

 

I was just about to say! The best way I ever saw it put was "Dying from exposure"-- all that 'publicity' doesn't necessarily turn into future sales for the creator.

 

And that is how people go out of business...our community is small enough and if we do not support those with creative and artistic ability in our community, we will lose them. Copying of anykind is copyright infringement...Sometimes I really do not understand this community. Copying is what kills any industry, it may take awhile, but ...in the end, we all lose out.

 

I don't think copying patterns is ok if it wasn't a free pattern. I'd try and find that person a similar free pattern and give them the details so they could buy a copy of the pay for pattern. However one person making one copy for a friend is a lot better than people who mass photocopy patterns, book pages, photos and more to hand out at meet ups. Book pages aren't quite as bad in my opinion as reading a few pages often makes someone decide if they wish to purchase the full book or not, and they could just borrow the book or read it at a library anyway. I know as a child I borrowed books from the library and the ones I really loved my parents would often buy me, even now if I borrow a book or DVD from a friend and its good I will likely buy myself a copy or at least buy myself the sequel or next season.

 

This is almost exactly what I'd planned to say. I'm not about to go mass-copying and handing out patterns to every doll owner I run into, but if I'd share a pattern with a friend, why shouldn't I make a copy for them? I've never used a BJD pattern (or had one), but I've shared many a human-size and/or crochet pattern with friends making the same thing. In some instances we've traced and copied them because we're not the same size. In some instances we've even split the cost 50-50 because we knew we were going to both be using it. I don't remotely see this as theft. It's kind of like saying "I'd never let my friend borrow my pattern book because *gasp* they might use the pattern without having paid for it!" Would you seriously tell a friend they can't borrow a book because it's stealing? Would you say those books shouldn't be in the library because it's stealing? I certainly wouldn't, because that's ridiculous. I realize that BJD patterns are mostly one person making and selling them, but I still wouldn't not make a copy for a friend. If I were the one making patterns, I'd assume people were doing that and wouldn't get mad over it.

Of course, I'd also download a car if I could.

 

I can see a sewing circle swapping copies of patterns if everyone has brought one, or everyone has gathered to make the same outfit. It's happened for years. Back in the days of our dolls' ancestors a group would pool their money and get a subscription to a magazine, like Godey's, and pass it around themselves. Xerox or tracing out of a book is one thing, even mine are designed that way. And I've made digital copies of library book patterns for my own records.

Where I get upset are the people who put the files or images up on the internet for free or for charge. Most doll pattern books in this day and age are affordable to the average doll consumer and it's ridiculous that they over charge for some books like they do because it's a certain brand or makes a fluffy ruffled dress.

 

One can discuss what's legal and illegal when it comes to distributing patterns and such, however I think the social contracts around the subject is more interesting: Personally I think it's okay to share and trad a magazine or pattern that you have bought with your closest circle of friends and I think the original designer should count on people doing that without getting their panties in a bunch. Of course there is a limit, if you are running a website or blog, you should never share a pattern there and always link back to the original creator and it goes without saying that copying the pattern and selling it is not acceptable and well within the limits of piracy.

 

That's a really interesting question. I've never encountered this but I think I have two opinions. If it is someone at a con or meet up, I would probably just let them know where I got the pattern, and let them know I don't feel comfortable copying it. On the other hand, if it was a close friend or family member, I would probably just let them borrow mine. I think of it as the act of copying being what is illegal. If you copy a DVD or CD and give it to someone, it is theft. But if I let someone borrow my original DVD/CD that I purchased, then it isn't at all stealing. I guess I think of it in the same way.

 

I'd have to agree that passing on copies of a commercial pattern that has not been made freely available is illegal as far as copyright law is concerned, and very concerning to anyone (such as myself) who has designed and made patterns for a living in the past. This is one area of pattern theft where copyright law is pretty firm, unlike the pattern to product laws (using someone else's pattern to produce work for sale as your own intellectual property) which are a little more of a grey area unfortunately when it comes to 2D pattern to final 3D product. It's just as bad as copying or altering someone else's pattern and trying to pass it off as your own.
It's completely something else if the pattern designer has freely posted their work up online for anyone to download and use...sharing those patterns is part of the intention in gifting them freely available for public use. I've done this before myself, as many others on this forum have too and as long as my pattern is acknowledged as having been used for someone else's finished product for their own personal use and not sale I wouldn't care less how many times the pattern is shared and distributed as it was my intention to pass it on to who ever wanted to use it by posting it online to begin with.