Copyright question??

[bleedingheart]

Can someone sell merchandise with the name brand and logo of another company????

For example...can you sell dinnerware with the name Absolut on it????? or do you need the permission of the company whose name you are using????

[punpirate]

1. Brand and logo can be...

... both trademark and copyright issues.

And, no, you can't. You have to write the company and request licensing rights. Be prepared to either pay heavily or be denied outright.

If you get caught, hope you've got some cashed stashed away that you're willing to give to lawyers and suit settlement.

[bleedingheart]

3. actually it isn't me......but someone I knew in college

this person sent me a link to a web site with merchandise that they are trying to sell...and it includes stuff that has copyrighted images on it....I would seriously hope that they have had enough sense to gain permission but if they haven't....they may get in a boatload of trouble...

[punpirate]

6. I've run into a few professional temps whose jobs...

... were to surf the web looking for their temp employer's logo and proper use of it, and to find articles related to the employer's business.

About four or five years ago, BMW went on a massive blitz to threaten every web site that used their logo without authorization.

Bigger corporations are watching. If they don't have license rights, consider `em f**ked.

Cheers.

[Lex]

2. You need permission if it looks at all like the product

is associated with or produced by the existing company.

If it causes a "liklihood of confusion" about whether it is associated with or approved by the existing company, then you must get permission. That's the general rule anyway. The other rule is, Better Safe than Sorry.

[bleedingheart]

4. thanks for the info....

I am just going to sit back and wait to see if this person gets caught....cuz I know it will happen eventually...

[FloridaPat]

5. Great copyright story:

About 10 years ago, there was a kindergarten in Orlando that had Disney characters on the outside of their building. Disney heard about it and sued them to paint over the characters. Universal heard about that, went over to the kindergarden, painted over the Disney characters and then painted their own cartoon characters on the building - for free.

[Lex]

7. Disney and Coca-Cola are fanatical about

maintaining the integrity of their trademark and copyright.

I believe the way the law stands now, a company can lose the right to sue people for using their copyright or trademark if they don't attempt to stop unpermitted uses of it.