Copying Patterns

ScandaKnitvian · 03-07-2007, 09:55 PM

Is it okay to photo copy a pattern from a library book? Or are you not supposed to do that? I'm confused. I know people do this all the time, but what is legality of it???

Or is it one of those gray areas?

Thanks,

Patty

Ingrid · 03-08-2007, 03:14 AM

It's legal to copy from a library book if it's for your own use. You can't publish it anywhere else, of course, but from a library considered public domain or something like that.

Jan in CA · 03-08-2007, 04:20 AM

I made copies for personal use. After all you can still do the pattern from the book so I figured it was fine. I won't give them to anyone though.

jhelanee · 03-08-2007, 04:29 AM

Originally Posted by Jan in CA

I made copies for personal use. After all you can still do the pattern from the book so I figured it was fine. I won't give them to anyone though.

I do the same thing: make a copy for my own use, but direct anyone else interested in a specific pattern to the book it came from. Half of the time I make a copy of patterns in my own books anyway so I can write on them while working without marking up my books, so I figure copying from a library book is not so different. This is assuming that you are only talking about one or two patterns in a book - if you want most of them you should probably go buy the book as copying the majority of it probably does get into copyright grey area.

suzeeq · 03-08-2007, 06:30 AM

I believe I read a librarian post something like copying more than 60% of a book (any book) violates copyright. I think it's on the knittyboard, if anyone wants to search for the post.

sue

ScandaKnitvian · 03-08-2007, 12:39 PM

Thanks for the info. I didn't want to copy 60% of any book, just one or two patterns. I know I can make copies of my own patterns from books that I own, for my own use, but the rest I wasn't sure about.

Patty

Krautie · 03-08-2007, 02:35 PM

I often made copies from library knitting books. Often there are only one or two patterns for me in the book and the others are

And then I should buy the whole book? No.
In Germany it is not different than in all other countries: money does not grow on trees

And if I make my copies and use them only for me, who cares and - the most important question - who knows it???

Calamintha · 03-08-2007, 06:29 PM

I worked in libraries for many years and I can tell you that in the US copying a few pages from a library book for your personal use falls under what is called the "Fair Use" provision of the Copyright Law.

One of the criteria of determining fair use is, does it deprive the author or publisher of royalties? So if you can honestly say that you would not have bought the book to get the pages you are copying from the library book then it is considered fair use.

However, if you go in to a library and copy a substantial section of the book to avoid buying the book if it is in print then technically you are violating copyright law. There is actually no percentage that is ok to copy under the copyright law, certainly not 60%. I don't know where that person got that figure but if you are just talking a few pages you are ok. The law in other countries may be different. For instance, Canada has more strigent restrictions on what is considered fair use.

There was an article in in the Winter 2005/2006 Vogue Knitting on Copyright Law and knitting written by an attorney that covers this in more detail.

suzeeq · 03-08-2007, 06:54 PM

Quote:

However, if you go in to a library and copy a substantial section of the book to avoid buying the book if it is in print then technically you are violating copyright law. There is actually no percentage that is ok to copy under the copyright law, certainly not 60%. I don't know where that person got that figure but if you are just talking a few pages you are ok. The law in other countries may be different. For instance, Canada has more strigent restrictions on what is considered fair use.

I read a post in the knittyboard from a librarian who wrote essentially the same thing. She may have have given 60% just as an example, I'm not sure.

<goes to search knittyboard>
Okay, I found the thread, and she actually wrote this: "Never copy more than a chapter and/or beyond about 60 pages give or take."

sue

janelanespaintbrush · 03-08-2007, 07:37 PM

I believe that if the book is out of print you can ask the library to make a copy for you, for your personal use. Can anyone confirm that? TIA!