Copyrights

Dee has a very good entry on copyrights on patterns.
"Crochet with Dee" Please remember that you can make a copy of a pattern for personal use, but not to give to friends. I'm such a stickler that I don't even make a copy for personal use from a library book, only from a book that I've already purchased.
Now, why make a copy if I already own the book? It makes crocheting so much easier. First I make notes about what colors I'm planning to use. Then I take the copy to the store with me, why lug the book? I then have the information about how much of each color I need to purchase. If they don't have the colors I was thinking about, and I choose other colors I can still get the right amounts of yarn.
When I start swatching, I make notes on my copy about gauge, and note what size hook I finally need for the project. As I work, I can jot notes about stitches or about the wording. Sometimes the pattern is correct, but the designer worded it differently than I'm used to, and I can put it in familiar terms. Other times, there might be an error in the pattern and I can make the correction right where I'll be able to find it the next time I use that pattern. I also note the date I started the project, who it was for, and anything else that might be helpful later.
Finally, I put the copy into a page protecter, add some samples of the yarn used, and the important part of the yarn wrapper, and photos of the final project. These pages are filed into a yearly project binder. It's a great record of projects, but also a resource...what was that really soft yarn I used on the blue afghan? That doily pattern was in what book?