a legal question

[alan wood]

Hi Guys,
Been away from this forum for a considerable time working on the the content of my web page http://www.hand-cut-dovetails.com

A few years ago i attended a woodworking course. No legal agreements were signed or verbal agreement with regards to any information or knowledge being passed to another party.

A few years later i wrote for a woodworking magazine for a brief period and after the first issue appeared the said course tutor wrote to the editor of the magazine complaining that i had used some of the knowledge from his couse in the body of the article. I had in fact mentioned this in the body of the article but the editor of the magazine decided to omit this fact.

I wrote to the said tutor, and in his reply he said that he had complete copyright to all knowledge from his course.

My opinion is that this is not correct.

In the very near future i will be updating my web page so that as far as possible, all the information i provide will be in the form of my origianl sketchup models, one of the best methods i can think of of getting my message across.

I will be removing the google ads from my site. I will not therefore be receiving any finincial benifits.

I am based in the UK.

Any views please.

thanks

Alan Wood

[johnsenior1973]

Do a Google search for "copyrighting knowledge". It returns 210 results. Now just imagine how many hits you'd get if it was possible to copyright knowledge.

Just laugh at him if he comes back at you again. As long as you aren't using any of his materials you'll be fine.

[solo]

As long as you are not using any images from the course, plagiarized any snippets of information used in the course (verbatim) you are 100% fine.

[Chris Fullmer]

With the article, it mgiht depend how you presented his info. Did you present his graphics in your article? Or did you re-create graphics of his? Were the ideas original? Can he prove they were his to begin with, and not taken from someone else? Or can you prove they are not entirely his? I'm sure very much of what he presented is not his own info. Plus, what is the point of a seminar?? To teach people so they can go out and do what they were taught. Big deal, he taught you, you incorporated it into your workflow and presented your findings and ideas. He did afterall give away his ideas to you for a price, fully expecting you to go out and put it to use, or make copies of his ideas.

For the blog, I think its the same. Its your knowledge now. He sold it to you. I think you would benefit legally from adding any of your own expertise to the content though, just to be safe.

Those are my non-professional thoughts on the matter.

[alan wood]

Hi Guys,
Many thanks for the replies.
The project i will be writing about is how i select the timber right through to the completion of the project, a small jewellery box with miniature dovetails made from ripple maple.

The best way of describing the whole project is that i will be taking a piece of timber and writing about how and why i carry out a process. Tool sharping, jig making, the lot

The project is really a 'thank you' to every single person who has helped myself and my wife Barbara throughout our life. People we call our mentors or inspiration, and that by the way includes you guys at sketchuction who brought me up to scratch, plus of course Modelhead who tutored me in web page building.(soon to be improved Bruce)

In my mind most methods can be improved, and a fair percentage of my stuff is really the development of other peoples work. Having said that quite a number of jigs and techniques are, as far as i am aware, unique to me.

It was for that reason that i was more than happy to give credit to anyones elses input.

When i am ready, i will start a new thread in the Woodwork forum notifying the forum of the said updates and the topics covered. I would then be more than willing to answer any questions with regards to that topic to clarify my attempts.

I was amazingly luckly at school have some superb teachers in woodwork, technical drawing and other subjects. I will bring the same passion and commiment to this project as they and the others that have had a positive impact on my life.

With other interested parties getting involved via this forum, the information and knowledge will grow and we will be able to provide a service second to none.

thanks again

Alan Wood

[TIG]

Everyone has automatic copyright of 'everything' they produce [unless they agree otherwise] - including written work, images. music, 'ideas' - as in the intellectual property of original algorithms and the like... If you make your stuff 'public' then it's reproduction is out of control, although you can still claim 'copyright' what can you do to those who use it - especially if not for profit...

However, it beggars belief that someone who is charging you good money to teach you stuff can then claim that he owns everything he has taught you! Why would anyone agree to pay someone money for knowledge they can't use ? However, it would be polite to note the contribution of the originator - as it seems you did...

As long as you don't reproduce his written work or or visual works 'verbatim', and you were simply repeating the concepts and ideas that he has taught you, how can he claim 'ownership' ? ... If a court were to rule in his favor then it would be ludicrous...

I suspect that if you dug backwards he will in fact have few 'original ideas' passed on in what was taught to you ... and he is in fact 'borrowing' from others himself - so it is perhaps him, who is falsely claiming 'ownership' here...

I believe that the guy claiming 'ownership' of what you then passed on is wrong in his assertions. Under English law you cannot own a commonly held idea or principle - unless of course it is 'unique' and you have sought to register it by patent etc before bringing it in the public domain...

What kind of 'teacher' is this man !!!

[Mike Lucey]

Alan,

As the guys have advised, if you have not reproduced your tutor's illustrations etc, I also think you have nothing to worry about. I think the tutor in question should be proud that you have propagating his methods etc and as you say you tried to have his input acknowledged.

Maybe give him a mention elsewhere to shut him up but carry on regardless

Mike

[alan wood]

Hi Guys,
Thank you again for the replies. I personally believed that what he was saying was rubbish I had intended to seeks the view of a barrister who i knew years ago from my working days. I really dont think that there is a need now.

Glad to be back.
speak soon
Alan