Are these flowers considered traditional in their copyright?

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Billysaurus
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Joined: October 24th, 2012, 8:11 pm

Are these flowers considered traditional in their copyright?

Post by Billysaurus »

Hi all!

I'm a long time lurker on the forum but I've never signed up, so I want to thank you all for all the advice and help you've given me in the past without even knowing it :D

So, while making some Masu boxes for presents, I got asked if I could make some for a couple of family members to use for their jewellery that they make. I checked online and found that as long as it is a traditional design then it is okay for you to sell it.

But, at the same time I got told that they thought it would be a good idea to try selling some bouquets of flowers. I really like the idea because I love origami (despite not being all that great at it), but many of the flowers I've made before have been very specifically one person's deign. There are two that I have seen around a LOT, a lily and a Kawasaki rose that I am unsure about.

Here are the two that I am talking about (please disregard a) the quality of the photo's, b) the leaf with the lily, I'm aware that will be under copyright and c) my bad folding at the time of the pictures :D - plus I cheated on that lily in particular *looks shifty and hides the superglue* )

ImageImage

When it comes to the lily, I found one site that had a copyright of someone's name (I forget it off of the top of my head), and the rose is the one created by Toshikazu Kawasaki, but I often see sites offering instructions on both, even offering design patterns without a copyright of either of the names I mentioned above.

If anyone could inform me of the lily's creator, and whether either or both designs are available for commercial use I'd be very grateful :)

I'm no really planning to make this as a business idea, but maybe a few commissions here and there would be nice; It's more the idea that someone might actually like my work enough to want to buy some than any sort of profit that would be made :)

Thank you again for any advice you can give me!
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Bass
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Joined: October 4th, 2011, 2:48 am

Re: Are these flowers considered traditional in their copyri

Post by Bass »

I'm pretty sure those site instructions have been made without Mr. Kawasaki's consent. The only person whose instructions I can tell you for sure come with his permission are by Jeremy Shafer, and those are Jeremy's own variations on the Kawasaki Roses on his Youtube channel. I think Mr. Kawasaki has been quite adamant in the past that he doesn't want any publications other than his own covering the Kawasaki Rose designs.

So no his copyright is not considered "traditional" in any sense, it's just a good example of how out of control a model can get when it goes viral without the designer fully behind its going viral.

The Iris however in the left picture is considered a traditional model I believe.
Andre-4
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Joined: July 14th, 2016, 8:16 pm

Re: Are these flowers considered traditional in their copyri

Post by Andre-4 »

Some people make Sonobe earrings tiny versions of Kusudama heavily glued and va rnished..Artists aren't rich and most won't be able to sue you for selling paper flowers as wedding favours but it is the real obvious plagiarism of crease patterns and books they get mad about..I don't think anyone would mind you doing it for a good reason ..ie mandalas for table coasters, things like that and few of them have registered the design..
How you get past the loophole is by adding a new fold or doing it differently..like a Tessellation from one sheet instead of 30 units..
Even the origami clubs would consider that a new design
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