"I am the designer and maker of the Sligo chair, one of the chairs discussed above. I myself am a teacher (at The Krenov School in northern California) and I very much understand the usefulness of learning through imitation, even through downright copying. Many of my students copy existing work as a means to learning. However, two points: 1) I urge the students in this situation to make every effort to at least ask the designer or manufacturer for permission, pointing out that they are making the copy for the purposes of education; and 2) that they don't profit in a material sense from the copy. The exercise was to learn, not to sell. If Renaissance Woodworker wishes to use the Sligo chair for teaching purposes, it would be polite, to say the least, to ask me. If they ask, I would say yes and be flattered. If they don't ask, I would be angry and consider it unethical."