Hello All,
I’m finishing some furniture plans for a client based on photographs he provided me from a museum collection. He has permission from the museum to build a single copy for his personal use. I noted this on the plans as such and also “not for production build”. So, in addition to that, I wonder if there are other standard disclaimers typical on furniture plans. For example does one note safety concerns about power tools , like those in the first moments of woodworking videos.
Or do I note my concerns about possible future issues that may occur during the build process. Perhaps say, I have drafted a set of plans from photographs but responsibility ultimately fails upon the builder. I don’t have a set of purchased furniture plans to view, so I’m wondering if others, like @DaveR, that generate many plans, typically place any boiler plate disclaimers.
I appreciate any help.
Thanks
Zaz1
The plans I get don’t have any sort of boiler plate text related to woodworking safety or any other disclaimers. For my larger clients who are selling the plans retail, I believe they have some sort of common text related to the number of copies that can be built from the plans but I don’t believe they add it to what I produce. I know of at least one or two woodworkers whose work I see on social media who have clearly appropriated designs from other woodworkers and are building many copies as if they are their own design. I don’t know if they are really at any risk of trouble or not.
There’s a big difference between intellectual property rights and safety disclaimers. The former are often implicit but can also be made explicit about limitations on permission to use plans. I have never seen the latter on plans.
Thanks for the comments about safety and IP. On the safety issue, sounds like no need for a disclaimer in the same way that a published food recipe doesn’t include one about burning yourself on a stove. However, the appliance maker of the stove would include one in their manual.
Building copies of another persons design goes on frequently since most small makers don’t have any protection. At school we were told clients often get a quote with a preliminary design then take it to others that bid cheaper for the same item. It happens. Look at how many rockers are out there that are copies of Maloof’s original.
IP of furniture designs seems a very complicated thicket!
Two pieces may look identical from the outside yet have significantly different construction details. Conversely, a great many pieces are essentially decorated boxes. There are only so many ways to construct a box that won’t fall apart, and a client cares only about the visible exterior. Look at IKEA. How many of those pieces do you think will still be around in 100 years? How many people buying them care?
I am not a lawyer, but I don’t think that museums have IP rights over their collections. If the piece is still under copyright, it belongs to the original creator, if not, it is essentially in the public domain.