soo:
if there’s a small business that makes items, and if i make a free pattern based on one of the items, would that count as copyright? or if it’s like a bit modified, but the inspiration was from the small business?
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@Ribblr maybe you can help
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do you have the pattern and are modifying some of the rows or did you just see a picture of the finished thing and tried to replicate/freehand it?
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So I’ve actually seen a copyright lawyer speak on this on tiktok. A pattern CANNOT be copyrighted, only the images used in it can.
However the do not copy/paste/sell part thats almost always written into the pattern is more so a courtesy we follow as fellow artists, though not all do.
Additionally, if the pattern has differences, it is technically classified as their own pattern, and they can do what they like.
As you may notice there are so MANY bee baby patterns. They are all written slightly different, making them their own patterns.
Hope this helps.
Edit: inspiration comes from many places. If you see a creation you like and inspired you to make one like it on your own, then it’s your own pattern. (:
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Is this other business a crochet/fiber business? Because that’s a very slippery slope to go down, I personally try my best to not take inspiration from other crochet artists because thats feels too much like copying for me. And, to me, even if you are making a free pattern from a picture of the finished object and never even see the pattern, that’s just as bad a stealing the pattern and selling it as your own. It was not your idea, it was not your vision, and you are diverting customers away from the original creater. I could go on and on about the stealing of patterns and ideas that already happens in the community, but I won’t.
HOWEVER
If its from another type of business (clay artists, traditional artists, digital artists, plushie artists, etc.) I think is okay to be INSPIRED by them. I wouldn’t necessarily say just completely copy the art and claim it as your own idea unless you evolve and expand on the idea. If you are really set on that idea, best practice is to ask the owner.
Two examples that I have personally experienced:
- I had been following this creator for years and loved their ceramic goose with bread around its neck and I really wanted to make one, and potentially publish a pattern on it.
So I contacted them asking for permission if I could make a goose based on their work and if it would be ok for me to publish the pattern for free with proper credit. They got back to me with what they would like me to do (tag them, add their website, make sure it was known that this was inspired by them) and that’s what I did. But if they were to say no, I would never publish it. - I saw this super cute drawing one day on my explore page:
And it inspired me to make my nutty buddies:
I didn’t directly copy the idea, but used it as inspiration for other little nutty guys because I really liked the hands and how compact they were. Which are now futher inspiring me to make more food buddies.
The point is there is a difference between being inspired and copying an idea, if its not your idea and you want to make it look just like the source, get permission, if you see something you like and it takes you into your own creations, that’s being inspired. Art comes from other art, but give credit where credit is due.
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oh sorry i didn’t clarify: the small business i’m talking about is a polymer clay shop (UncomfyCo) or an artist
i also don’t have a proper account youtube or instagram, so i can’t contact people directly
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thank you everyone :D
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Generally speaking, if they have their own website they will most likely have a “contact” page where you can send them an email.
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yea i was being stupid i realized like an hour after i sent that 
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