Pieced Paper Copyright Dilemma?

[Damkina]

Hi, it's that time of year and I'm about to embark on some Winter/Solstice/Christmas crafts. I don't have a stall at a fair, but I always manage to get people asking me to make and sell them small items for gifts etc.

I'm wanting to make a few Mini albums with pieced paper pictures etc on the covers and also make quilted bags and cards to match that will also go inside. The albums and cards are ok as its the general cover, cut and stick, but I'm hoping to photocopy the same picture onto fabric to make into a pocket front for the bags.
Is this infringing on copyright with the paper company, or am I ok because I've already made up the pieced pictures? I'm in a quandary about what to do.

Also, what packaging would anyone recommend for coned and decorated Penny Pocket with sweets inside?

Thanks in advance
Joanne

[English Rose]

I don't know what the strict letter of the law is, but my personal feeling is that if you have paid for the paper and you're just copying a bit to give an added extra in fabric to the project - and you're making things in very small quantities - that would be OK. A bit like quoting from a book is OK, even though photocopying the whole thing, putting your name on the front and selling it wholesale wouldn't be.

[Dan99]

I would say it would be fine for your personal use, but as you're selling it it'd be a no-no. I would have thought that no company would let you photocopy their designs and then sell them.

[MaryAnne]

On solution might be to use free colouring book images as the design to make the paper piecing. Then you could scan that and use it.

People make all sorts of things from PAPER and CARD then sell them. I think so long as you make each paper piecing by hand and only print it to accompany the minibook that might be acceptable - to be sure you would need to contact the paper manufacturer and ask them. And if you ask and they say NO, you really would have to go along with their decision.

Alternatively, what about using one of the CD products? Totally not MY bag, but loads of people seem to LOVE them. And I THINK I heard on one of the craft channels that sell them that you can make things to sell with the CDS - although it might have been if you were selling for charity, rather than profit

Copyright is a minefield. Do people do this sort of thing all the time? Yes. Do they get away with it? Probably, if it is small scale and handmade items, made one at a time. Is Papermania (just an example) going to hunt you down and extract their pound of flesh (or indeed their £ ) ? probably not. But you never know.

[Miss Lemon]

It's tricky - as Dan says, technically you probably aren't allowed to do it as it would be 'reproducing an image', but in reality I seriously doubt anyone would mind (it's very small scale and you're buying and using the company's paper products as far as you can. They don't make fabric, right?) I don't think you're in danger of a law suit.

If you feel uncomfortable though, as MaryAnne suggests, you could contact the paper company and ask them. I asked permission to reproduce an image once and the copyright owner said 'yes, that's fine - thanks for asking'. I can't remember the exact situation and I think I was publishing rather than selling, but you might get lucky.

[Damkina]

My apologies for not getting back sooner as i would like to say thank you for your advice and suggestions.
After a long, hard think about what you wonderful people have said and what I'd rather do... almost Got in touch with the companies at one stage.
I've decided that I'm not up to dealing with a possible lawsuit and won't be copying the cut paper designs onto fabric, even though it would have been simpler in the short term.
That decided, last night I got the white paper and pencils out and got drawing! Lots of scribbling and rubbing out later, I have now got two little designs that i own, a Mermaid and a Geisha. Yay! Not Winter/Christmas themed i know, but I've got some ideas to play with on that later. I'm going to photocopy them a few times, watercolour them, copy these onto fabric and use the outlines to cut and stick matching/similar paper for the albums with added embellishments.

Again, thank you for your help. I must say, in this case procrastination is a wonderful thing; it gives your brain chance to be logical
Joanne