Hi all!
So I am considering making some crochet patterns based off of copyright characters(Disney, DreamWorks, etc).
Now I know it is not allowed to sell copyright character based patterns (and plushies) due to infringement, but is it okay if I make it a free pattern? Like, if its free, would it be an infringement. I don’t want to get sued for a free pattern…
Okay, so I just found this article, and it is definitely frowned upon.
It is best to get with a copyright attorney because just finding things on the internet and taking that for law is very dicey and taking a chance to get a lawsuit. With big name companies like Disney and all of that you’re playing a very very close game of death. Cuz they come down on people so hard you would be bankrupt in everything before you could even say Amen.
So basically, it’s not legal. But the companies don’t seem to mind. A friend of mine wrote a teletubby pattern and teletubbies themselves acknowledged it. But personnaly I would prefer seeking permission. Like at the moment I’ve written a pattern similar to a youtuber copyright character, so I’ve written her an email asking for permission to post a tester call and later publish that pattern.
Get permission from the copyright holder first. Money doesn’t factor into it. Whether you offer it for free or paid doesn’t matter. Without legal permission it is illegal
@GretchenHulett @BlueBerryGum @tygger428
Thank you all for the advice! I am definitely not going to even start writing a pattern unless I can get permission 
