DSF

I was wondering if anyone has had any success in getting the ok to use logos like the superman logo or peppa pig etc? as i see other using these on websites and i thought you had to get permission to use such pictures?

many thanks,

Hi. There have been a few threads regarding copyrighted logos etc here. Its a very complex and often costly route when using images from say, Disney, Pixar, and other well known companies. Check back through the old threads and google copyright reproduction of images and you will find a whole lot of information that is extremely useful. If you can guarantee a very good and steady income from buying a license to reproduce the images, that may well be the route for you but I for one would never be able to afford it or the costs of any claim bought against me for using the images without permission.

It's not really a question of luck - it's whether you have enough money to pay to license the image or logo, and the money to pay for the legal fees in drawing up the contract(s), although there is possibly luck involved in whether the big company want to even both dealing with you - they have to have faith that licensing to you will not devalue their brand.

I looked at producing some copyrighted work from an artist, some of his work is used by greeting card manufacturers, £750 per image for the rights for 3 years on mugs in the UK only, then 6% commission of gross selling price per image, with a minimum of 100 units per year. Ouch! Didn't go any further.

AND my accounts had to be open to an audit at any time, which just means more work if they wanted them!

oh my god i think i will scrap that idea!

Does anyone know where you can go to copyright your own image/logo? and a rough cost?

Thank you all for your comments!

SilentAlf - ACID would be a good place to start
http://www.acid.uk.com/

Best way to prove an image/design is yours...

Print it out and post it special delivery to yourself. When you receive the posted envelope do not open it. Simply put it in a safe place. Should someone ever use your image then take the sealed envelope to a solicitor explain what has happened and that your post marked envelope has the same image as the one someone has ripped off.

[h=1]WILL POSTING A COPY OF MY WORK TO MYSELF HELP TO PROVE ITS ORIGINATION?[/h]Known as the “poor mans copyright”, posting a copy of your work to yourself is not a reliable method for proving origination. The reason is that the method can be easily faked and manipulated. For example, an empty and unsealed envelope can be posted and the work sealed inside at a later date to give the impression it was created earlier. It is unlikely this evidence would stand up in Court.
The best way to deal with origination issues is to ensure all preparatory documentation that goes into the creation of a work is signed by the author, and dated, then stored in a safe place. Such documentation could include sketches, drafts, plans etc. However, once the work is complete, filing a copy of the work with a recognised third party such as a solicitor, bank or independent organisation will help provide independent evidence of a latest possible date of creation. ACID offer such a service through the ACID Design Data Bank and all members should take advantage of this.

Last update on 06.11.12 by the ACID Team. - http://www.acid.uk.com/ip-doctor-faq/it ... ation.html