Jewelry design copyright questions

I understand the copyright bit.. and its fair enough.. but lets use an example from your own site... patterns for sale. Are you violating copyright if you have paid for a design and go on to sell the jewellery made from it?

Great question! If you buy a downloadable project at BeadAndButton.com, you would still need the designer's permission to sell the finished piece. When you pay for instructions -- whether online or in the form of a beading book or magazine -- you are paying for the right to recreate those designs for your own personal use. You have not purchased the right to sell the design; that right still belongs to the designer.

What is the best and quickest way to get permission from a designer to use their design or any part of it in a project you want to make for sale?

To Nanasboyz,

I would say the quickest way to get permission is to e-mail the designer. Most designers provide a way to e-mail them on their websites. If you are making a project from Bead&Button magazine or BeadAndButton.com, we often provide contact information in a bio box toward the end of the story.

If you do e-mail a designer, I would also recommend attaching a photo of your work so they can see just what you are doing with their design.