Would you vectorize and print this???

[ScreenPrinter123]

We always say no to the stuff that is straight lifting of Disney or other copyrighted work.  This is a student drawn image that is obviously based off of Pixar/Disney movies and logo so my guess is it is not doable, but I honestly do not fully know and understand the copyright law so I thought I would ask those of you who know more than I do.  Would you print this and why?

[Sbrem]

Plainly it's Mickey, and therefore, a no-no, but I seriously doubt they would hunt you down... And I would do kids art in Photoshop to maintain the "sketchiness" so to speak.

Steve

[Frog]

Yep, simply two black circles next to each other have really become synonymous with Herr Maus, but this guy is crude enough  to almost be considered a parody in it's own right (IMO). I almost see more of an issue with the turtle, but I'd think that in general, this design is pretty safe (at least until the Disney law team reads this thread, LOL)

And yes, unless requested to do otherwise, keep it as unrefined kid-like and cute as you can even though this is 8th grade, and not really little kids.

[mimosatexas]

I probably would print it, but I would do a straight scan and halftone it, no vectorizing. Clean up the areas outside of the numbers though of course.

[ScreenPrinter123]

Thanks guys!  I appreciate the feedback.

[blue moon]

it is a clear copyright violation! No question about it. The fact that it is poorly executed does not make it any less of an infringement.

If it's for a regular customer, we would not print it. If you are doing somebody a favor we would print it, but not charge for it. Also, they ABSOLUTELY under no circumstances could be for resale!

There are two ways I can think of you could print this. First, it is some kind of art project. The purpose of the shirt is to be worn as an important piece of the actual art presentation. It could be a dance mob, group of ppl posing for an artistic photograph or something along those lines. The other is if you make one for your self and are not reselling it. In this case you are not making it for yourself, but if the school bought the shirts and you printed them free of charge it might pass the smell test (just might).

pierre

[mimosatexas]

good point.  The client and purpose of the shirt will absolutely play a roll.  Anytime profit comes into play you are more at risk for being sued.  When it comes to schools/non-profits, there are some areas where fair use comes into play on some things that do not apply to other types of clients, but you would have to talk to an IP attorney for specifics.

[blue moon]

good point.  The client and purpose of the shirt will absolutely play a roll.  Anytime profit comes into play you are more at risk for being sued.  When it comes to schools/non-profits, there are some areas where fair use comes into play on some things that do not apply to other types of clients, but you would have to talk to an IP attorney for specifics.

fair use only applies for the educational purposes. You would have to be learning about Disney for this to be relevant. . . It is similar to news reporting, you can show Disney material if that is what you are reporting on. You can not have Mickey in the background if you are covering mouse infestation.

pierre

[mimosatexas]

Not exactly as far as I understand it.  I worked for a legal education non profit for 5 years full of lawyers and they used lots of IP for lots of purposes beyond specifically teaching about the specific IP in the image/video/etc.  Profit is the main issue.  Like I said though, I'm not a lawyer and it is probably always best to error on the side of caution.  The risk for printing a few of these for a group who is not selling them though is very low.

[kingscreen]

The question is whether it is worth it.  Most likely, nothing would come from it. 
But is that risk worth it to your business?  For me, the answer is always no. Let the next shop down the way roll that dice. 
If/when some lawyers want to prove a point, you don't want to be on the wrong end of the gavel.

[ScreenPrinter123]

We already did decline.  Not only is the money not worth the risk, but more importantly my conscience remains clear!  The only difficulty for me is that it is a good repeat client.

[Homer]

We already did decline.  Not only is the money not worth the risk, but more importantly my conscience remains clear!  The only difficulty for me is that it is a good repeat client.

you just broke little Billy's heart. you meany. How's that for a clear conscience.


we turn down stuff like this daily, especially with decals. Can you make me a Harley stick- NOPE...I don't care what the price is, I am not jeopardizing my career so you can have a new Harley decal for your rusted out truck. no thanks.

[blue moon]

here's a good site/book on copyright. I watched their 90 min video few years back and it cleared a lot of things.
http://thecopyrightzone.com/

pierre

[Sbrem]

Yep, simply two black circles next to each other have really become synonymous with Herr Maus, but this guy is crude enough  to almost be considered a parody in it's own right (IMO). I almost see more of an issue with the turtle, but I'd think that in general, this design is pretty safe (at least until the Disney law team reads this thread, LOL)

And yes, unless requested to do otherwise, keep it as unrefined kid-like and cute as you can even though this is 8th grade, and not really little kids.

My first actual t-shirt print was Mickey, a linoleum block cut, inked and pressed onto a white T, pretty crude (the linoleum block look, really) and I was 16...

Steve

[ScreenPrinter123]

We already did decline.  Not only is the money not worth the risk, but more importantly my conscience remains clear!  The only difficulty for me is that it is a good repeat client.

you just broke little Billy's heart. you meany. How's that for a clear conscience.


we turn down stuff like this daily, especially with decals. Can you make me a Harley stick- NOPE...I don't care what the price is, I am not jeopardizing my career so you can have a new Harley decal for your rusted out truck. no thanks.

Well at least I am not the one breaking multiple Billy hearts!