The copyright issue, concerning patterns and fabrics, affects most quilters, especially if they’re planning to sell their quilts and fabric art.  If you’re making quilts simply for your own use or to give as gifts, then it doesn’t come into play so much with your work.
I came across an interesting article at Quilting Business.com, titled: Quilting Copyright: Can I Sell My Quilts Made with Licensed Fabric or from Copyrighted Patterns?   These are two of the copyright issues confronting quilter and fabric artists site owner Chuck Smith has researched. 
Chuck also has a free e-mail mini course: 7 Unique Ways to Make Money …read more

Whether it involves copyrighting your own patterns and designs or how you can use someone else’s, this issue becomes of concern to quilters, especially those who are considering selling quilts and fabric art or teaching this folk art.
Can you use someone else’s pattern for a quilt you’re going to sell?  Can someone commission you to make them a quilt using a copyrighted pattern?  When is a pattern in the public domain?  Must a pattern have a copyright notice on it to be copyrighted?
These are just a few of the questions confronting quilters and fabric artists.  I discussed this topic awhile …read more