Don’t Sue Me!
Last week on one of the quilting lists someone posted that she was being sued by a fabric designer for having used that person’s design in a piece that was published in a book. She wouldn’t elaborate or name the designer. Since what I do is all wrapped up in using commercial prints, this was pretty scary! Especially since this piece I am currently working on features the use of a printed panel cut up and rearranged. One has to wonder why they would produce quilting fabric and then sue you for using it, but crazier things have happened. I didn’t even want to work on it! I wrote the designer and explained what I was doing and asked for written permission to proceed. It took a couple of days for the answer, during which time I imagined worse case scenarios, like “Now she knows what I’m doing and will be watching and waiting to sue me” But no. she granted permission. Monday I finished up the last of the seams and the top is finished. I think now it will be set aside since it has an April deadline and I’ll concentrate on something for Celebrate Spring which had a January deadline.
Tags: Celebrate Spring, Fabric
December 1st, 2011 at 11:25 pm
Let me get this straight….So a fabric designer designs fabric for a fabric company. The fabric company then prints that fabric. The fabric company wants to make money. Quilt/fabric artist decides to use fabric in a project that ends up in a book. Probable outcome is that there will be a rush on said fabric, because anybody who purchases the book/pattern will want to make one “just like it”. Fabric company sells lots of fabric, fabric company makes money. Why print fabric that nobody can use? Just this minute, I have been cutting fabric and discovered it has a “Do not use commercially” print on the selvedge. What exactly does that mean – why make fabric that has limited use? This is a fabric with Christmas prints – not a known design -eg Disney. It is being bought by lots of people making things for Christmas and probably for a craft stall somewhere. I just don’t get it.
Sue
December 1st, 2011 at 11:27 pm
PS I think they should be named, then no-one else will get conned into buying a product that is unsuitable for the purpose.
Sue
December 2nd, 2011 at 2:40 am
I agree – it is hard to understand why someone would design and sell fabric if they don’t want anyone to use it. What is the point? If her name is revealed she will probably not sell much fabric to quilt makers. I know I would avoid buying it.
December 4th, 2011 at 8:47 am
I totally agree. It doesn’t make a bit of sense to me and if I find out who it is I will make it a point not to purchase her stuff. I buy a lot of fat quarters though and usually there is not enough, if any, info on the selvedge.