Comments on: The truth about copyrights and licensing

By: Allan Cooper8

Allan Cooper8 — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 18:16:16 +0000

hi some years ago i used my photos of motor cars as t shirt, towl and pillow case designs, had them on display in small country town, the car companys came to town and orded me to stop as they might have been my photos but of their cars and even cars from the early 60's that were privately owned wre out of the question. regareds andy

By: D'Arcy Mann

D'Arcy Mann — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:29:56 +0000

Copyrights can be for as long as 99 years and can also be renewed. Further, when the ownership of intellectual property changes hands (think Terminator, which started with Carolco and has been sold and resold often) the new owners may, and often do, aggressively go after people using unlicensed images or other IP.

To add to the mix, often when a company knows they don't have a case but figures their war chest is larger than yours, they'll sue you anyhow just to scare others away from following in your footsteps. A friend of mine was going to start a clothing store called “Indiana Jeans”. Lucasfilm sent him a 400 page document claiming it sounded like “Indiana Jones”, but in reading the document it basically said “we know we don't own just the word Indiana, and we'd probably lose if you could afford to withstand a decade long legal battle… but we can afford to keep it in the courts far longer than you can and we'll make sure you die a broken and broke husk of a man. Do you feel lucky, punk?”

By: jmania

jmania — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:52:23 +0000

Really good article, thanks

By: B3Lorenzo

B3Lorenzo — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 17:37:54 +0000

I loved the article! I have been wanting to start a clothing line starting off with tees and tanktops as a side project so that my siblings could be a part of it. Initially I wanted to just make enough to be able to start another company. I am so glad that I read this article because I was wasting energy trying to figure out how to copyright with a patent. I have a lot more homework to do before I am ready to launch. Thank you for sharing your experiences and as I am seeking to make my dream a reality any and all information tips, tricks, dos, don'ts, any advise, or knowledge that are able to pass on please don't hesitate to add me to your mailing list. B3Lorenzo@gmail.com.

By: Velly

Velly — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 02:24:43 +0000

So did this ever get answered I would really love to know. Say if I took Brett Farve and turned him into a caricature that my team designed. Yes it will look like him, but an animated version. So can I get sued for that? Please let me know if you know the answer thanks

By: jonkruse

jonkruse — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:28:21 +0000

Yes. I'm not exactly sure what your trying to say but you are using someones copyrighted image. I am not saying you are going to get sued because that person still needs to see your shirt and contact a lawyer and if your only a small site chances are no one will notice.

By: legion

legion — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:32:48 +0000

I was Wondering.if u use a copyrighted image on a t-shirt and sell it but dont call it your design but reference it to its copyright.are u still infringing it?

By: marcusd

marcusd — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 05:06:59 +0000

I see a lot of shirts with Obama's face and Bush when he was in office. Can a celebrity or public figure copyright their face? I can't see how you could print a shirt with Britney Spears image on it without getting in trouble.

By: ross1776

ross1776 — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 02:35:55 +0000

What most people do not realize is that a great many times, though, most of those lawyers make those threats in order to intimidate if the work that is being used is not copyright protected at all, due to its age. The Constitution provides protection from copyright infringement “for a limited time.” And with many of those older characters or designs, those movie companies merely assumed those artists works due to buyouts, and don't own them either or never did since the original owners were never paid for those designs or their familes.

So don't just IMMEDIATELY cave when you get one of those letters. But check to see how old that design is, and what the copyright laws were at the time the work was created.

By: joshx

joshx — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 23:25:16 +0000

Hi im in Mexico near the border and im tring to start a clothing company , planing on implementing in Mexico and USA with ecommerce does that mean i have to pay rights in the 2 countries?