I'm not quite sure why this is being brought up again.

Maybe we should stop worrying about what everybody else is doing ~ or NOT doing!

It's being brought up because GardenWeb/iVillage can be held responsible for any illegal activity (including copyright violation) that goes on via their site. The notice is to protect them from potential lawsuits.

Maybe I have a wacky sense of humor, but--Minnie, I have to chuckle about this whole event. I mean really--the knitting and crocheting forum is a pretty sedate, conservative forum, right? A bunch of ladies doing yarn work. To have it erupt into a real HOT TOPIC has really tickled me. I love it!

Susan

Socks - would you be as "tickled" if YOU were the creator/copyright holder of a pattern that was being passed around?

Yes, this site is about sharing knowledge.

For every person who posts here is another person who simply browses this site. Or two, or fifty.

Some people might not know about copyright, or the extent this law covers.

For those, who in all innocence violate this law (which is an international law, by the way), this notice and the discussion here might be an eye-opener.

That, to me, is sharing knowledge. About as important (or even more) as how to make a certain stitch.

Now that the notice is posted and we are all aware of it I think it would be nice to get back to posting without fear of someone turning you in to the authorities (whoever they might be) for asking an innocent question or making an innocent request. It used to be fun. IMHO