In article ,
Roger wrote:

Design patents might well be relevant.
See http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/design/definition.html

Very interesting - thank you for the link. A design patent certainly
appears to apply to some of the turning work out there (not to pick on
Vesery any more than necessary) but Jacques Vesery's feather motif for
starters.

A thought. Perhaps this plagarism topic has merely been an annoyance to
professional turners because they know that to protect their designs is
a test of vigilance and likely not worthwhile given the relatively short
life of design "freshness" and thus diminishing financial returns over a
few years. Therefore to maximize income off the design they turn to the
demonstration circuit to which previous infringement lawsuits would be a
PR nightmare. Make a body of work with the design for the collectors,
museums and clientele and move on to the next idea, leaving the design
to the imitators.

--
"Sure we'll have fascism in America, but it'll come disguised
as 100% Americanism." -- Huey P. Long