![]() ![]() But, the safest way to find out is to read the information on the company’s website and then request permission. What about other cartoon characters? It’s pretty much the same thing. This is called fair or transformative use in the United States copyright law. by contacting them through their official website. If Disney gives you permission to use their characters, you will be required to enter into a licensing agreement.Īnother way to use Disney characters is by making changes to the design so that they no longer resemble the original images. One way to legally use Disney characters is to seek permission from Disney Enterprises, Inc. Well, not exactly-a quick Google search will tell you that Mickey Mouse is trademarked material, and so is every other Disney character.īut, does that mean you cannot sell anything with Disney characters at all? There are some ways around it. Does that mean you can go ahead and sell Mickey Mouse t-shirts? You’ve probably seen stores on different marketplaces that sell t-shirts with Disney characters. Be careful with cartoon characters on t-shirts To help you avoid copyright infringement, let’s go through some do’s and don’ts of running a t-shirt printing business. Start free trial The do’s & don’ts of t-shirt copyright infringement So, it would be in your best interest to avoid copyright infringement entirely. But, if you’re not, then the worst that will happen is that you might have to pay a penalty or a fine.Īnd, of course, something like this could have some serious legal consequences for your business:Ī ruined reputation as a creator as well as possible imprisonment, especially if the copyright holder takes you to court. If you’re lucky, you’ll only get takedown notices. What happens when the copyright holder uses reverse image search and finds out? Let’s say that you’ve somehow used a design that is copyrighted. Well, for starters, forewarned is forearmed-awareness of t-shirt copyright laws will help you avoid copyright infringement. So, why is copyright infringement something that you need to be aware of as an online business owner selling t-shirts? To put it in simple terms, the free use of somebody else’s work can be considered copyright infringement (unless it exists in the public domain or the copyright owner has granted full permission). Infringement refers to copyrighted material being reproduced, distributed, or used without the exclusive permission of the owner or author. Now, what does copyright infringement mean? The following creative works of authorship can be copyrighted: In other words, copyright is a form of intellectual property law.įor instance, if your t-shirt business is registered in the US, then the copyright law of the United States will grant you protection for original works of authorship. ![]() The exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (such as literary, musical, or artistic work). The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines copyright (noun) as: What’s copyright infringement & why does it matter?īefore we get into copyright rules and copyright infringement, let’s first define or explain what copyright means. ![]() This article will answer that question for you and give you a thorough breakdown of t-shirt design copyright laws. What is and isn’t allowed to put on a t-shirt? And, one of those things is copyright infringement. Get permission from the copyright holder first… unless you fancy jail.īut, in all seriousness, there are many things to consider when you start a t-shirt business. Think you can go ahead and start selling Micky Mouse t-shirts? Na-a-ah! Think again. ![]()
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