Copyright

Copyrights on Sounding Bowls have been established since 1986.

Worldwide copyrights were established in 1991 when the editor of Experimental Music Instruments magazine declared Sounding Bowls to be unique in the world history of musical instruments on three specific counts: mainly, no other instrument is recorded to have been made with strings running inside the resonant space; secondly no turned instrument is recorded that has no neck, thirdly all instruments with turned components have been predominantly made by other means. This statement by an acknowledged expert has not been challenged and stands as acknowledging Sounding Bowls as a unique contribution to musical instrument development, according to Tobias Kaye intellectual property rights for lifetime plus 50 years.

There have been attempts to produce Sounding Bowls by other woodturners. These have not approached the quality of make, looks, sound or results of an original. Tobias will take such things seriously. There is the matter of a livelihood, but that is not all: Read the user feedback page and you will gain some idea of the work that the Sounding Bowls are doing. If Sounding Bowls are to become an acknowledged instrument form, surviving Tobias Kaye the pattern must be seen to be useful. Parodies and low quality copies risk denying this future. For this main reason Tobias will vigorously defend the copyright.

However another factor is important for the establishment of Sounding Bowls as a type: They should become commonplace in their field of use (presently sound healing, music therapy and related fields). It may be good therefore if other makers do come in to the field if their standards are regulated.

If you are already a skilled woodworker/woodturner and would like to make Sounding Bowls please contact Tobias to arrange training. Thereafter it may be possible to become a registered maker in your own right.

Woodturners who would like to make one for their own use please contact Tobias for a copyright licence. If you would like to make a Sounding Bowl for anyone else to use, whether sold, gifted or lent to them only a copyright licence will protect you from possible serious consequences. Under certain circumstances such a limited licence may be considered on charitable grounds.