Copyright, Trademark and Needlepoint

There are several really good sources of accurate information about intellectual property online.  They explain why it is illegal to xerox stitch guides to give all your friends, why you can't buy Harry Potter canvases, and why taking a photo of a diagram in a book you find in a shop with your phone can get you in legal trouble.  Please take the time to educate yourself about copyright and trademark by reading the information below.

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Needlepoint Now magazine has a great article about copyright and needlepoint, written by attorneys.
https://www.needlepointnow.com/advertising/copyright/

Mary Waldsmith and John Waddell did a presentation on copyright and trademark for the shops and designers who attended Destination Dallas 2018.  Here is a link to their handout which explains in detail how intellectual property law works for the business end of needlepoint.
http://destinationdallasmarket.com/handout.pdf

Ruth Schmuff talks about the impact of copyright theft on needlepoint designers.  Read the comments.
https://bedeckedandbeadazzled.com/2018/02/copyright-2/#comment-8534

Some of you are thinking that this doesn't have any impact on you.  Think again.  Ever wonder why you cannot buy Amy Bunger's stitch guides unless you buy either the thread kit or the canvas, too?  It is due to copyright theft!
https://chstitchguides.blogspot.com/2011/01/amy-bungers-stitch-guides-review.html

Here's an article about copyright myths.  Believe me, they are rampant!  I even had a shop owner tell me that it was ok to sell Star Wars-themed canvases because "they are in the public domain."  (Don't tell Disney!)
https://www.templetons.com/brad/copymyths.html

The National Academy of Needlearts has a good article about copyright.

https://needleart.org/2020/02/01/copyright-or-copy-wrong-issues-hiding-in-plain-sight/

I hope all of the above explains why I am so adamant that photos of certain designs cannot be posted to Facebook's Needlepoint Nation Group because they likely violate the copyright or trademark of the design's owner.  Here is Facebook's position on intellectual property theft.
https://www.facebook.com/communitystandards/respecting_intellectual_property

Facebook also has a lot of helpful information about copyright and trademark in their Help section.
https://m.facebook.com/help/1020633957973118/?hc_location=ufi