We are in agreement – nobody should take another person’s work and put their own name on it. But, that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’ll be specific – a couple of late designers (of which I’m aware, perhaps there are more) sold their designs by releasing them only on paper – never in electronic files such as GemCad. If I Xerox off the paper and give it to you, we can pretty clearly say that something was violated.
However, if those drawings are interpreted into an electronic format such as GemCut Studio, credit given to the designer, and a note saying that the electronic file is not the designers work, but is instead an interpretation of their work into an electronic format – is that violating something?
I can tell you that a number of the designs have typos (wrong angles) or otherwise do not work as presented, so the electronic files have identified and repaired some inconsistencies. Additionally, a number of them contain floating facets which would be extremely difficult for a cutter to reproduce. Most designs do work as depicted.
Be that as it may – is my interpretation of the original design (crediting the designer for their work) something I can freely share without violating something?