I (HEART) London and other t shirt artwork are registered designs

[logobear]

Just reading in Printware and Promotion that London Icons have succeeded in registering a host of I Heart designs, and are now selling licencing opportunities to use them.
They have registered London, Dublin, Scotland, Wales, and Paris,
They were registered 11 feb 2011, but the original I love N Y was created by Milton Glaser in 1977, and has been adapted by millions ever since.
here's the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Love_New_York
It seems odd that a randon garment print company in london can copywrite a design that has become generic, adapted, and reused by millions across the planet.
Looks like thats the end of another line of tshirts......

[jennywren]

Now the'll way have to go the other way with broken heart symbol New York, maybe they'll leave place Cambourne, and all those obscure places that nobody know
but I am sure some one will claim them, mind you I know Cambourne so maybe that's not a good example, I don't use any of those I love places logos. i am sure that there will be a lot of money to be made out of it and the amount of people that they will have to chase.

[Matt Quinn]

I suspect we ought to be in the new legal section with this; but not to get bogged down....

Registered WHAT exactly and with WHOM?

From: http://www.ipo.gov.uk/types/design/d-about/d-whatis.htm

[COLOR="#0000CD]"For its registration to be valid, a design must:

be new
have individual character.

A design is considered to be 'new' if no identical (or very similar) design has been published or publicly disclosed in the UK or the European Economic Area (EEA). For example, a design would not be considered new if it had been 'published' on an Internet website viewable in the EEA before the date it was filed. However, you can apply to register a design in the UK up to 12 months after the designer first discloses it."[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#000000]Also...[/COLOR]

[COLOR="#0000CD]"...design registration cannot protect non-stylised wording (ie. basic text), the way something works, or the idea or concept behind a product."
[/COLOR]

Copyright and design registration are two different things... If they designed an 'I heart' logo with a unique font and newly drawn symbol they would own the copyright to it anyway. Registering it as a design doesn't stop anyone else using the same concept...

In any case - the concept is FAR from new or unique! You can buy I Heart Scotland stickers in many souvenir shops...

If challeneged by London Icon Ltd's lawyers I personally would refer them to a certain Ms Dunbar...

http://youtu.be/RoZ7JXkv6_o

And thence quote Arkell Vs Pressdram...

The Muppets don't even have a proper website!

[AdamB]

Surely they can copyright the logo but they cannot copyright a love-heart and the 'I' word ????

I mean, yeah, micky mouse is copyrighted but I can still draw a picture of a mouse with big ears can't I ?

Do what I do, if you're unsure if something is copyrighted, have a look on ebay and if the design is on with various sellers then you're ready to go! - oh, and by the way, I'm only jesting with that last bit

[AdamB]

.....If challeneged by London Icon Ltd's lawyers I personally would refer them to a certain Ms Dunbar...

http://youtu.be/RoZ7JXkv6_o

Where's that from Matt (lol) - never seen that before!

[Matt Quinn]

Surely they can copyright the logo but they cannot copyright a love-heart and the 'I' word ????

I mean, yeah, micky mouse is copyrighted but I can still draw a picture of a mouse with big ears can't I ?

Ok - it's REALLY important to seperate out the concept of copyright and design registration - They ARE two VERY different things. - These Sheisters are trying to flog licences based on a registered design - the registration of which cannot possibly be valid!

In my opinion London Icons Ltd are trying to pull a cheap flanker on the giftware industry here - And if London Icon Ltd's Lawyers would like to speak to mine about that statement then they can! As a card-carrying memeber of the BAJ I'll be delighted to use as much influence as I can to ensure the matter gets as much publicity as possible - and there IS such a thing as BAD publicity!


Yes Adam - you CAN draw a mouse with big ears provided it's far enough away from any of the copyright/trademark protected symbols created by Disney - and it needs to be pretty far away!

CLEARLY the text is generic, NOT new in the form of useage - Same applies to the symbol. The arrangement of elements is also clearly NOT new or unique so I would offer the opinion that their registration is clearly NOT valid!

How difficult would it be to find people to swear in court that they own or have owned an item with this so-called 'design' on it PRIOR to its registration! I swear BLIND I had an 'I ♥ London' sticker on my car when I lived there back in the 80's!!! - And incidentally' I've just reproduced that slogan using standard computer TEXT!!! - Non-styilised wording!!

I'm also VERY sure I've had (may still have) old T shirts with the design? How many peole here have been making them for YEARS???

For sure they have copyright over their own particular font and typesetting - As they do their own rendering of the heart symbol. But their 'registration' is NOT valid in my opinion and does not give them any more rights than those in the copyright over their own design.

- For them to have the CHEEK to try and 'licence' it!!! SHOCKING!

[Matt Quinn]

Where's that from Matt (lol) - never seen that before!

Karen's a local (Glaswegian) comedienne - Contemporary of Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill of 'Chewin The Fat' fame...

[AdamB]

Matt - as always, your replies are both informative and a good read.

I also like the fact that although it's quite hard these days to actually voice opinions on the interent as you can't see the person making them (and read their faces), you never alienate or try to embarrass anyone with your replies which to be honest is a breath of fresh air!

Just thought I'd let you know

[Matt Quinn]

you never alienate or try to embarrass anyone with your replies

...With the possible exception of sheister Muppets that try to pull cheap flankers on the giftware trade. :redface:

I need to get back to doing some work this afternoon but will try a little digging later on to see if I can get to the bottom of this 'registration' of theirs.

[John G]

As Matt said, they cannot do it as its not there's to licence. People have been doing "I Heart blah blah" for years.