This pattern is covered by copyright laws, but the mag is still available........"The pattern for this project appears in our March/April 10 issue, available in hard copy only. To get just the issue with the pattern, call 800-865-7240 for the individual issue."

Remember, as it says at the top of this site...... "Sharing photocopies of patterns or charts without the express consent of the publisher or designer is a copyright violation and is not allowed. "

Sandra,

Thanks for the reminder about copyright laws. I do not think acraftylady asked anyone to copy the pattern or infringe on any copyright. She specifically said "(if) you don't want the elegant fringe shawl pattern I would gladly take it from you." I don't think there is any law against removing pages from your own copy of the magazine to give those pages to someone else.

Good luck, acraftylady. Unfortunately, I don't have this magazine. Nice shawl, though.

Sorry for the confusion but I was not asking for a photo copy. I thought someone could tear it out and snail mail it to me if they were not going to use it.

I dont' want to pay that much for a back issue plus shipping when I only want one pattern and they don't offer digital downloads of issues yet or I would have done that on the spot. Mad at myself I missed looking in this issue or I would have used a 50% coupon at Joanne's to get it. Mary

Got it, a lady from another group online didn't want it so tore it out and sent it. Mary

Good for you acraftlady. It's so nice to see that there still are some people around who love to, and don't mind, sharing their patterns.

I have an obsession for shawl patterns. I run a prayer shawl ministry at my church and I am always on the look out for different ones to do. Mary

I understand that justlinda is giving me the 'dig', but let me try to explain my own personal experience with "sharing" items that are copyright...whether you put them online, print them out,send them to a friend, etc.
Each time you 'share' something copyrighted, you deny the company the money it would have made on the magazine, pattern, etc. I'm sure everyone thinks 'well, just this one won't matter", but multiply this by many and you can see 'just this one' does matter.
I, and several others, have, for years, transcribed tax records that were then sent to a company who published them. What we were paid wasn't enough to make it worth while for us to do, but we love genealogy and this was a way to help other researchers and give back to a hobby we love. Now we have learned that the company is no longer going to publish these, and when asked why they said it was no longer worth it, economically, for them to do so...... when I went on line I discovered many sites that contained large hunks of our work. The company felt it was not worth it to sue individuals so they simply discontinued publishing the tax records, thus depriving thousands of people....particularly those who live far away....the ability to find usable records to aid them in their research.
So, each and every 'shared' copyrighted item matters.

BUT-
with the internet as it is, and people writing etc., back and forth, how does anyone propose to enforce the copyright laws? Seems redundant to me.

shaddy....that's the problem.....copyright laws are expensive and hard to prosecute. However, there would be NO PROBLEM if people would understand what they are doing when they 'share' what isn't theirs to share. We've become a nation, it seems, of people who do what they want, regardless of who it hurts. This seems of little importance to many, but, believe me, it isn't. We rely on people to come up with research books, new knitting and crochet patterns, and so many other things, but are unwilling to be considerate of their rights. Surely you don't think that as most will never enforce their copyright infringements it's okay to just go ahead and do what we want with their creative products? That's the sort of thinking that got us in the spot we're in.

I am not claiming to be any sort of expert on copyright law. However, having a brother, sister-in-law and niece who are librarians, I can tell you that no infringement was done in this process.

The law provides that, as long as no copy was made by the original holder, the pattern may be passed along to another owner.

This is what appears to have happened in this instance. Granted there is no way to prove that the original holder did not retain a copy for herself, one must assume that the letter of the law was adhered to.

The OP never asked for a COPY and it appears that she did not receive a copy. No harm. No foul.

wow...i cant believe the same b/s is still going on with the copyright laws....maybe those few should go into law...and leave the site for the real crocheters and knitters..

I think under the circumstances the forum
should be discountinued. Women for centuries have
shared and exchanged patterns with no ill will
but in the last few years so much stink has been made about a few pattens that it has ruined a happy exchange of ideas. no one is trying to make money on the back of any others or to steal their ideas. let's close the forum or close the discussion IMHO

Ummm...ever checked the Fiber and Needle Arts Exchange Forum? I'm sure there's lots of 'copyright work' over there to keep a person busy....lol.

This is new to me you can't take a pattern out of a magazine and pass it along if you are not going to do it providing you don't keep a copy for yourself.

I am an avid cross stitcher and belong to a forum and stitcher's do that all the time with a magazine or chart pack and it's perfectly acceptable by the designers and does not violate any copy right laws in cross stitch as long as you don't keep a copy for yourself so I would think knit and crochet magazines would be the same. Mary