Printing custom t-shirts is a popular hobby and business model, but it’s important to be mindful of copyright issues when designing and selling t-shirts to avoid legal problems and potential financial losses.
What can and can’t be worn on a T-shirt?Therefore, before learning how to avoid T-shirt copyright infringement, you must first understand what copyright is, how it works, and what copyright infringement is. We will define this clearly below.
- What exactly is copyright?
“Copyright is a type of intellectual property that grants its owner the exclusive right to make a copy of a creative work for a specified period of time.” Creative works can be literary, artistic, educational or musical in nature. The purpose of copyright is to protect the original expression of an idea in the form of a creative work, not the idea itself. “Copyright is limited by public interest considerations, such as the fair use doctrine in the United States,
Simply put, free use of someone else’s work can be considered copyright infringement (unless it exists in the public domain or the copyright holder has granted full permission).So why should an online business owner selling T-shirts be aware of copyright infringement?Well, for starters, forewarned is forearmed — knowing T-shirt copyright law will help you avoid copyright infringement.Suppose you use a copyrighted design in some way. What happens when the copyright holder uses reverse image search and finds?
If you’re lucky, you’ll only receive a deletion notice. If you don’t, however, the worst that can happen is that you may have to pay a penalty or penalty.Of course, such a thing could have serious legal consequences for your business:Damage to your reputation as a creator and possible imprisonment, especially if the copyright owner takes you to court.Therefore, it is in your best interest to avoid copyright infringement altogether.
2.Notice of infringement of T-shirt copyright
To help you avoid copyright infringement, let’s take a look at some DOS and don ‘ts of running a T-shirt printing business.Watch out for cartoon characters on T-shirts You may have seen stores selling T-shirts featuring Disney characters in different markets. Does this mean you can continue to sell Mickey Mouse T-shirts?
Well, not really – a quick Google search will tell you that Mickey Mouse is trademarked material, as are all other Disney characters.But does that mean you can’t sell anything with Disney characters on it at all? There are some solutions.
One way to legally use Disney characters is to contact Disney Enterprises through their official website to seek their permission. If Disney allows you to use their characters, you will need to sign a license agreement.
Another way to use Disney characters is to change the design so that they no longer resemble the original images. This is called fair or transformational use in US copyright law.What about other cartoon characters? It’s almost the same thing. However, the safest way to find out is to read the information on the company’s website and ask for permission.
3.Look for non-copyrighted material.
The next tip on how to avoid T-shirt copyright infringement is to look for non-copyright images in the public domain. All images, slogans, quotes, and graphics that you see in the public domain are free to use in your T-shirt design. But what exactly is the public domain? Well, this domain contains creative material that is no longer protected by any copyright laws, and you are free to use it without asking permission. Such content in the public domain has usually been donated, confiscated or has had its copyright expired. Therefore, feel free to use whatever you find useful in your domain. The public sphere is not just made up of old things. Some artists are willing to release their new original works into the public domain. Others like to classify their work differently.
4.Avoid putting brand logos on T-shirts
How about putting logos on T-shirts and selling them? Well, that’s a blunt no – you shouldn’t put a logo on your shirt and sell it.
Here’s why:Usually, the logo is a registered trademark. Even if the logo isn’t (or you’re not sure if it is), that still doesn’t mean you don’t have a problem, because most logos belong to registered businesses, brands, or companies. Therefore, only the owner can use it.
However, you can have a government-made logo printed on a T-shirt, or custom logos – logos specifically designed for you, or logos that you have paid for and have rights to.
5.Flag
Flags are considered public domain in the United States, so you can use them without fear of copyright infringement. However, if the redesigned flag has non-geometric elements, it can be copyrighted. If you’re using the original, you don’t have to worry, but if you’re using a different design, you need to be aware of this.
6.National symbol
In the United States, under Section 105 of 17 USC, government works are not protected by copyright, thus allowing the use of government works such as national symbols without any permission, but this does not mean that you can use government works containing words such as flags, national symbols, or anything else.
7.Heraldry
In almost all cases, heraldry is not copyrighted because, as a general rule, simple textual descriptions are not. Therefore, you have no difficulty using them for your design, which means you will not be prosecuted if you use them in your T-shirt design.
- Create your own designs
The best way to avoid infringing on someone else’s copyright is to create your own designs. If you don’t have the design skills, you can hire a professional designer to help you.
Conclusion
It’s important to note that copyright infringement can result in serious legal consequences and financial losses, so compliance with copyright laws is crucial when printing custom t-shirts.
The best trick to avoid copyright infringement is to make your design, which you can do yourself using useful design tools.
