Thread: Help wanted but not sure where to ask exactly!

I'm no legal expert but I would imagine that with timbercrafts and small turned items, they a not complex enough to have any design patents on them. All turning of small things has been done before, and people do their own take on other existing designs. My (amateur and untrained) opinion is to go for it but acknowledge and respect the sources of your inspirations.
Simon.

I have never heard the concern about copying come up.

If you were to exactly copy (same size, same pattern of inlay, same wood, same everything) some famous wood workers object exactly, there might be a squalk, but any turned thing is almost certainly to be unique.

Go have a look at some crafts shops that sell what you propose to make and see what the owner says.

There is also the quote, "to copy from one is plagiarism, to copy from many is research".

Keep in mind the way to make a $million doing hand crafts is to start with $2 Million.

I'm a retired geezer who makes enough from turnings to buy better lathes and more turning toys.

Thanks Paul and Simon.

What you have both said is along the lines of what I was thinking. I'm not setting out to copy someone, merely going to attempt similar styled projects, but with different wood, different features etc.

And Paul, I realise that this is not something that's going to make me rich, but if it allows me to amass a collection of machines I'd be pretty happy with that

Thanks for your help

Brad

I have had my designs copied, I had mixed emotions at first but in the end my happy ones over ruled that someone liked it enough to give it a go!
I read a famous wood turners book, and came to my own conclusion as said before me it's all beads and hollows so it's hard to arrange them in a ground breaking design
With my paid work I'm copying someone else's designs with balusters and posts on the rare occasion I get to make a new stock item for a customer!
my main issue is people under selling themselves and not valuing their time!
hope I have not offended anyone!

Thanks Chuck1!

This post was a little more general (not specifically turning) but I still think that its much the same for most other things. Theres only so many ways one can make a small box or a bowl or a cupboard so it does make sense that there shouldnt be any problems. I'm still pretty new to the hobby but the idea of filling my shed with all the amazing tools that they have at places like CARBA-TEC and the alike excites me! All i asked for for Christmas was gift vouchers for there haha.

Thanks for every ones help

Cheers
Brad

Originally Posted by chuck1

my main issue is people under selling themselves and not valuing their time!

With the flood of cheap wood crafts from China and India,this becomes inevitable,unfortunately ...MM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

With the flood of cheap wood crafts from China and India,this becomes inevitable,unfortunately ...MM

I disagree that it is inevitable.

If you have s quality product and you distance yourself from that mass produced market, you can get a fair price for your goods. The people with the money to pay your fair price are usually discerning enough to know the difference between mass-imports and a craftsman-made unique item.

You might not sell as many as you would like and it may be difficult to make a living just through your woodwork, but there are many people out there with a more comfortable lifestyle than they would otherwise had or even just having the hobby fund itself.

Cheers

Doug

Originally Posted by doug3030

I disagree that it is inevitable.

If you have s quality product and you distance yourself from that mass produced market, you can get a fair price for your goods. The people with the money to pay your fair price are usually discerning enough to know the difference between mass-imports and a craftsman-made unique item.

You might not sell as many as you would like and it may be difficult to make a living just through your woodwork, but there are many people out there with a more comfortable lifestyle than they would otherwise had or even just having the hobby fund itself.

Cheers Doug

And be aware that the people with the money rarely frequent weekend markets, this is where to find bargain hunters with a $2 per item budget.
Just saying
Cheers, Ian

Originally Posted by Nanigai

And be aware that the people with the money rarely frequent weekend markets, this is where to find bargain hunters with a $2 per item budget.
Just saying
Cheers, Ian

Yes. Find a shop to sell through. Don't sweat the mark up. They are selling the thing. And it ain't worth nuthin' if its not sold. Go up to Harndorf or some other tourist place. The Barossa perhaps? Make a line of foody things. And use native timbers. China can't copy that.

Originally Posted by doug3030

I disagree that it is inevitable.

If you have s quality product and you distance yourself from that mass produced market, you can get a fair price for your goods. The people with the money to pay your fair price are usually discerning enough to know the difference between mass-imports and a craftsman-made unique item.

You might not sell as many as you would like and it may be difficult to make a living just through your woodwork, but there are many people out there with a more comfortable lifestyle than they would otherwise had or even just having the hobby fund itself.

Cheers

Doug

Maybe not inevitable for everyone Doug,but as you say,'difficult to make a living through your woodwork'.There are furniture makers all over the sunshine coast closing up shop at an alarming rate,and alot of them produce 'quality 'work..actually spoke to a local luthier yesterday (his guitars start at 4-5k),and he expressed his concerns regarding 'cheap' guitars entering the country,which in turn affect his level of sales.Yes,there will always be folk out there willing to sacrifice their dollars for quality made items,but they are becoming scarcer by the day...MM

Originally Posted by tea lady

China can't copy that.

Yes they can Tea Lady,because we sell them our logs ..MM

I wouldn't be too concerned about the patent/copyright issues, those would have to be valid and current in your country of manufacture/sale and it costs a small fortune to patent something so I doubt that custom built wooden things would have any issues. Where you might have an issue is if for example, someone patented a " XYZ You-Beaut rocking chair" and you copied it identically and labled it as such, the patent holder would then have an issue with yours, but probably wouldn't if you had a similar rocking chair without their brand name on it. Just my 2 cents worth.

Cheers

Ed

Anyway, I'm not entirely convinced all this is something you just do in between jobs. You need a bit of focus and concerted effort.

I remember watching that series on cable TV. At the end of each program there was an advertisement offering detailed (and in most cases full size) drawings ,cutting lists and suppliers of hardware etc. So I doubt that there would be any problem.
Not exactly the same, but some time back I wanted to use excerpts from a TV photography show in a newsletter I was producing. A email to the presenter not only got permission but a pdf files of the information I was interested in. Google "New yankee workshop" and see if you can make contact - could resolve the problem very quickly. Make sure that you offer to acknowledge the show as the inspiration for your work - only needs to be a small line in ads or notice in your workshop - might also add credibility in the eyes of prospective purchasers of your work.

Bob