My new hobby has got me thinking a lot about intellectual property. When you’re relaxing on the sofa with a ball of yarn, the mind tends to wander. So, I started wondering, who ‘owns’ this cute lil stuffed Totoro I just made?
The pattern for this handsome little guy comes from LucyRavenscar, the British crochet maven who makes among the best amigurumi around. In her pattern, which she gives away for free on the internet, she specifies: “This is a free pattern of my design, so please do not sell it. Otherwise, use as you like, but if you make this Totoro to sell you must include a link to this pattern. Thank you!”
Copyright enthusiasts might scratch their heads. Why would she possibly give this away for free, especially when she already has an online storefront at Etsy? Let’s extend this argument to libraries: why should publishers let libraries “give away” ebooks for free, for instance? Continue reading
Rachel
