One of my favorite designers spends hours converting ideas to sketches. Once the basic drawing is done, details are added along with color and shading. The drawing is complete but it isn't ready to market as a pattern for me to stitch.

Before the drawing can be converted to a chart, the designer must select from hundreds of colors and shades of floss. In some cases the desired shading will require the blending of colors. Once the colors are chosen, the designer must assign a unique symbol for each color.

Finally the symbols and or colors can be manually entered into the chart. Imagine the time required to enter hundreds or thousands of symbols in order for the original drawing to emerge. Even if the designer uses a computer program to convert the drawing, it may take hours to perfect the chart.

Let's assume the designer is able to get the pattern to this stage in one week. We still need a layout with the list of colors and symbols, dimensions, and instructions. So the designer works through the weekend.

The pattern is ready to be stitched. However, even though this is my favorite designer, I want to see a picture. The designer knows that the hard work will only result in sales if the package includes a color photograph of the completed design.

There are two options; the designer may stitch the design or pay a model stitcher. To save money, the designer elects to personally stitch the model.

Let's assume that the design requires 20,000 cross stitches and there is no backstitching. A really fast professional stitcher may be able to complete approximately 250 stitches per hour. There are no problems with the chart and the model is completed in two weeks. The total time invested in the pattern from idea to stitched model is about 150 hours.

The pattern is finally ready to go to the printer. The designer provides a print-ready CD and the printer agrees to deliver the first 500 copies in one week for $250.00. The design is posted on the designer's website and begins working on the next idea.

By the time the copies arrive from the printer, there are 25 orders. The pattern continues to sell at 25 per week through the website. The design is popular and during the fourth week, orders begin coming in from shops and sales increase to 75 per week. During the eight weeks the pattern has been in the market, 400 copies have been purchased.

Stitchers love the design! So much that 1 in 4 makes a photocopy to share with a friend.
How does this impact the designer? Instead of having sold all 500 copies of the pattern in circulation, the designer has sold only 400. The copyrighted pattern has netted the designer $468.75 per week, less than $2,000.00 per month.
Making or accepting a photocopy of a design is theft--plagiarism. Most stitchers would never steal ten dollars; possessing a copy of a $10.00 pattern for which we haven't paid is no different.

What if the design hasn't been formally copyrighted? As soon as the drawing is made, the idea is the property of the designer and, technically copyrighted.

Every cross stitch book or design on the market comes with a formal copyright. In some cases, the designer includes permission for the buyer to make one copy of the design as a work copy.

What you may do with a copyrighted design:

• You may stitch the design once for yourself or to give as a gift.
  
• You may place a copy of the completed project on your website to show off your work to other stitchers but should include information about the designer.
  
• You may stitch the design to donate to a charity.

What you may not do:

• Make a photocopy for another stitcher whether for sale or as a gift
  
• Change the colors or elements of the design and market it as your own product
  
• Use any part of the design as a portion of a larger design
  
• Stitch multiples of the design for sale