Hello everyone! I have a question about selling patterns!
I fell in love with a concept I saw on tiktok. This seller rarely creates their item, and it sells out within minutes. I was willing to pay for a pattern, but the problem is this item has no pattern.
I decided to freehand something similar. I’ve just glanced at the video, and have almost created an item to my liking. I’ve altered things like, sizing colors, trim etc, and things I didn’t like visually of original. And I obviously have no idea as to original measurements, stitches etc of item.
My question for all of you is: i noticed many people in the comments begging for a pattern. If I were to create a written pattern off of my work, is this ok to sell? I’m not the best at freehand and honestly this has been painstaking work and constant frogging so I’d be hesitant to free drop.
If there is a moral problem with me dropping the pattern I’ll gladly just make and sell my own item without publicly releasing my pattern! I’m just new to the concept of pattern writing and wanted everyone’s opinion!
I think it somewhat depends on what the item is. Is it a one of a kind original idea the person had or is something common like an animal? If it’s something common as long as you are making it your own and not copying someone’s pattern I think it’s fine.
I agree with @Lefthandstitches
Like if it’s an original character or something of the maker I wouldn’t really sell any pattern for it
But just something common would be okay, like you’re making it yourself with your own measurements and your own techniques, it would just be that you would be inspired by what you saw but you didn’t copy it
Its an animal shaped purse! So not a personal character or anything
legal and moral are two different things
there is A LOT of grey area and vastly differing opinions on what is and is not moral with pattern publishing. Legal is cut and dry.
This is for the US:
Legally speaking, even if it looks very similar to another item for sale, as long as you do not use their photos , their name, their product name, their logo/brand, or copy the actual written pattern, you are in the clear…unless the likeness is trademarked. (like a Disney character)
Given that this person does not sell a pattern, it’s safe to assume they did not create the pattern, only the finished product. Which is also completely allowed by law to sell anything you make from a pattern you purchase.
Absolutely everything you buy is a slight variation of the item sitting next to it, that slight variation makes it a different product.
I figured legally I’d be ok, I just don’t want to be a jerk 
I saw an argument recently on another platform over a crocheted frog purse. One person thought that another person was “stealing” from person A that they liked because person B had published a frog purse. Mind you, that these frog purses where completely different, even just on the surface in that one was just a head and the other was the whole body and so on… but the person was very very angry because “you can’t just take someone’s original idea and make your own thing from it”
The frog head (supposedly “stolen” ) was a pattern originally published a full decade before the frog body purse… and someone pointed out that the idea of a frog body purse was not new either because they have been selling those in the cruise ports as souvenirs (made from actual frogs )for at least 40 years.
There are very few original ideas out there, only new generations that are seeing it for the first time.
I have 2 very different crochet frog purse patterns and I have a kermit backpack. These are so far from unique concepts, its laughable.
Obv if you do something that looks identical to someone elses, some people may question it but whats the need with 2 different items.