Yes, that is me with the bull's eye target -- use your imagination on the identity of the bull� :)
Sorry Folks ... I know you followed a link hoping to find my Bullseye Block Construction Details
which are no longer here due to circumstances beyond my control.
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Wednesday, December 20, 2000 I received this email ...
From: Country Threads
11:17 AM
Subject: Bullseye
Be advised that Country Threads Inc. and Martingale Publishing have not given you permission to use our Bullseye pattern and construction techniques on a web site. You have violated federal copyright laws.
You will be contacted by our attorney.
Contact us immediately at the following phone number to let us know what you'll be doing about this.
Country Threads
2345 Palm Ave
Garner, IA 50438
phone: 800-544-6852
Mary Etherington
Connie Tesene
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I immediately replied:
From: Garnet Underwood
To: Country Threads
Sent: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 10:43 AM
Subject: Re: Bullseye
My goodness.... I was under the impression that the Bullseye was an old pattern in the public domain -there are several other Internet sites with the same information.
� I have removed my page of instructions and apologize for my innocent mistake
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Country Threads followed up with this email:
Wed 12:15 PM
Subject: Re: Bullseye
To: Garnet Underwood
Garnet Underwood,
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
Just to clarify: The bullseye block as pictured on page 10 in Quilts from Aunt Amy; is in the public domain. That block is hand pieced circles. The construction technique of stitching on top, cutting out the back, splitting the square, etc are all original design and construction ideas from Mary Etherington and Connie Tesene, and copyrighted techniques.
Country Threads
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As of December 29, 2000, I have had no further contact with Country Threads and have not been contacted by their attorney.
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Since receiving the disturbing email from Country Threads I have done a bit of research on copyright procedure and law , I am no expert on the subject, just� learning.
I just went to the US Copyright Office site: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/
and located the Quilts from Aunt Amy information:
TITL: Quilts from Aunt Amy.
PHYS: 96 p.
CLNA: acMary Tendall Etherington and Connie Tesene\
DCRE: 1999 \par DREG: 10Sep99
� APAU: artwork, photos & text: acMary Tendall Etherington , 1948-;\
������������� technical drawings & text: acConnie Tesene , 1953-.
PREV: Preexisting material: some photos, technical drawings, block designs & fabric designs.
LINM: NM: text, quilt designs & original photos.
MISC: C.O. corres.
ECIF: 5/S\par
(If I am interpreting the codes correctly they registered the copyright September 10, 1999
�� and the dates beside their names are their birth years..)
Here is the copyright office's explanation of the codes:
CLNA Name of claimant(s)
DCRE Date of creation (fixation) according to application
DREG Effective date of registration from application
APAU Name(s) of author(s) on application if different from deposited copy
PREV Information on previously registered related works and other data regarding preexisting material
LINM Limitation of claim; new matter
MISC Miscellaneous information (including indication of correspondence with the Copyright Office, etc.)
ECIF Essential computer information field [machine coding\
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According to this information from the US Copyright office: http://www.loc.gov/copyright/faq.html#q45
"Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work."
As you can see from the above copyright information, their limitation of claim is:
� new matter:���� text, quilt designs & original photos.....
My page contained text I wrote (not a copy of their text), quilt designs I originated, my own photos , and Electric Quilt generated graphics. I certainly would never knowingly violate any federal copyright laws.
I sincerely doubt that anyone living today can lay claim to having a completely original quilt design idea, quilters for hundreds of years have been adapting other's ideas. Just glance through Barbara Brachman's Encyclopedia of Quilt Blocks and you will find several from 1930s, published by the KC Star which seem to be "quartered and sewn together" -- the applique� technique of cutting out the back is also standard� procedure and technique used for hundreds of
