#4 ?If I don't make money from the sale, I'm not in violation of an artist's copyright.?

False. Whether you ask money or not may affect the damages awarded in a lawsuit, but it's still a violation if you take control of someone else?s design and give it away. You may be found guilty of causing the originator damages by hurting the commercial value of the piece.

#5 ?The design / artwork I plan to copy was in an out-of-print book. Therefore, the design is in the public domain and I don?t need permission.?

Don?t count on it. A book can go out-of-print while still being covered by copyright. A book that is out-of-print is considered in a temporary state. The copyrights usually go back to the author or illustrator, which means the underlying copyright protection is still in effect.

The material here is excerpted from the Special Report called 12 Myths of Copyright for Artists and Craftpersons by James Dillehay.

About the Author

James Dillehay has 20 years experience as a craft artist and author of seven books. His articles have helped over 15,000,000 readers of Family Circle, The Crafts Report, Sunshine Artist and more. James serves as a member of the advisory boards to the National Craft Association and ArtisanStreet.com. He can be reached at http://www.craftmarketer.com