Interesting wording

[mrs maggot]

On an Etsy T shirt Store:

[FONT=&quot]Important - We are 100% UNOFFICIAL[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Our T-Shirts are NOT THE LICENSED MERCHANDISE of any of the characters, movies, tv episodes, artists or companies mentioned. We DO NOT represent our products in any way as official merchandise and only offer our designs to fans wanting an alternative to official products.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]XXX TShirts Ltd is in no way affiliated to, associated with or sponsored by any of the characters, movies, tv episodes, anime, artists or companies featured on this website/listing.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Non of those named on this website have endorsed, licensed these products and we DO NOT hold them out to have any connection with them. This website/listing is neither affiliated to nor associated or sponsored by any of the characters, movies, tv episodes, anime, artists or companies named.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]As this product is clearly stated NOT to be Officially Endorsed, licensed or sanctioned, it cannot be said to constitute “Passing off” or to be unfairly competitive.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]If you wish to purchase Official merchandise, you should contact the relevant authorised dealer.[/FONT]

[ArferMo]

If only I/you could get away with copyright infringement that easily wouldn't the world be a better place and let us all sleep soundly at night. Oh and help the punters net get ripped off by extortionate prices of official goods.

[mrs maggot]

In fairness being on Etsy, it is a very artistic interpretation of the Minions, that someone had posted on their fb account - I was just struck by the wording.

[socialgiraffe]

[FONT=&amp] it cannot be said to constitute “Passing off” or to be unfairly competitive.[/FONT]

errr, yes they are. If that were the case then why are they using characters that they do not own?

Yet another attempt to get round the fact that they haven't got a decent idea of their own. The problem is that places like Etsy earn money from them so it is not in their interests to police it.

Artistic interpretation or not, Minions (in this case), have a process for selecting images and merchandise and like to protect it. Any "artist" that is drawing anything that is not theirs for commercial gain is stealing, it is no different to me grabbing an image from any photographer's website and printing it.

[webtrekker]

It's all down to money in the end though.

Thousands of designers spend the best part of their lives designing things that never sell. Thousands more take a successful design, maybe muck around with it a bit or maybe not, and go for it. They are the ones making money, and they accept the small risk of being challenged, and it is a SMALL risk at witnessed by the thousands of ebay listings depicting 'copyright' images that have nonetheless been selling for years.

For some it's 'have principles and starve,' as opposed to, 'suppress your principles and put food on the table the best way you can.' It's up to the designers to police copyright infringements, and many don't bother.