Welcome! We are multi-faceted. We began as a research podcast by Dr. Townsend Gard at Tulane University Law School.
We've grown into a community about quilting, crafting, entrepreneurship and intellectual property.
FTC Disclaimer: Sometimes Just Wanna Quilt is given free samples to understand the product in conjunction with the podcast. We always let the audience know when this is the case. We also purchase products, which we also let you know.
Polka Dots and Originality in Copyright
Miss America of 1926 is credited with starting the polka dot craze. Her bathing suit had random sized circles. Two years later, when Minnie Mouse was introduced in Steamboat Willie, her now iconic red dress with white polka dots was what we have come to think of polka dots: standard, neat rows of circles against a solid background.
When does polka dot fabric gain copyright protection? When the pattern is creative enough. What does that mean? This section explores the creativity as one requirement of obtaining copyright. Luckily for us, courts have actually weighed in on the copyrightability of polka dots.
But questions remain: How much should Damien Hirst control polka dots after his Dot paintings, 1986-2011 (see unauthorized video to the right)?
In 2017, Modern Quilt Studio came out with their own line of polka dots, called "Dot Crazy." The section ends will a look at their new collection, and a discussion of copyrightability of these glorious fabrics.
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