Intellectual Property Act

[goldfinger234]

I think woodturning in general is a lot like drums in the music industry impossible to protect.

Someone will always have done something similar maybe in a different wood or using a certain colour stain.

Like it has been discussed on here commission pieces and solely art pieces are easier to defend as they are unique but if you start throwing IP rights/Laywers/Copyright at everything you make woodturning will die a horrible death and become impossible for anyone new to get involved.

I for one won't be inspired to continue if I accidentally copy someone elses design and get issued with a nasty cease and desist letter from some fat cat lawyer. I'll probably bundle everything up and sell it for the first offer I get.


I wouldn't worry too much about selling your stuff. Hell will freeze over before this all applies to woodturning on any scale. There'll be a small number of people pursuing one off projects who may have a case, but by and large if it ain't been done before in wood it will have been in ceramic or some other medium. Don't forget, we tend to think bowls start with the invention of the lathe. They don't. Potters were making bowls in prehistory long before anyone invented a gouge.

Ryan 

[hughie]

Here in Australia wood turning etc would be covered by copyright and so applys to all who avail of it. But, isnt there always a 'but'? It depends on how deep your pockets are and or how famous you might be. But it will never be cheap to defend.