Comments | lower_tadfield: Question Concerning Copyrights

megkips in lower_tadfield

Question Concerning Copyrights

Sep 27, 2006 14:56

I hope this is appropriate towards the community. Let me know if it isn't.

In my graphic arts class, we're going to be doing screen printing soon, and I plan on using a Good Omens quotation (God help me I don't know which one yet.) I do not plan on selling the single shirt. Is this against copyright laws?

Thanks.

questions, first rule of fan club

Comments 38

whimsy_chan September 27 2006, 19:11:25 UTC

I'm not a lawyer or anything, but since you're only making one shirt for your own personal use that might be considered fair use. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

blueeyedtigress September 27 2006, 19:32:14 UTC

That would be my take on it. But I'm not a lawyer either.

Could you post a pic once it's done, please? Now you've got me all curious ... ;]

megkips September 27 2006, 19:45:14 UTC

Yeah, sure. I'm currently debating between a quote from Bone ("Stupid, Stupid Rat Creatures!") and a few Good Omens quotes. (Debating between messing with the text for "Sauntering Vaugely Downward", "Not Just a Southern Pansy. THE Southern Pansy" and "Voodun is an Interesting Religion For the Whole Family, Even for Those Who Are Dead." A lot of the good stuff isn't considered "school appropriate", including the door-to-door salesman quote.)

blueeyedtigress September 27 2006, 19:55:21 UTC

Suggestion: pic of a 1926 Bentley (or old Bentley symbol), with the "whole body glove" quotation. Innocuous, and the school appropriateness police Won't Get It -- it's an ad, right? ;]

Thread 7

dulcepericulum September 27 2006, 20:54:10 UTC

I don't even care if it's against the law YOU. USED. THE. WORD. QUOTATION. AND NOT QUOTE.

CONGRATULATIONS. YOU HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO BREED.

blueeyedtigress September 27 2006, 22:47:22 UTC

Indeed. I second the motion. Brava. (Or possibly Bravo, as you have a gender-neutral LJ name, zarephathcs ....) ;]

megkips September 27 2006, 22:50:12 UTC

Brava. I do indeed have tracts of land. Small ones, but tracts of land none-the-less.

andremeese September 27 2006, 22:53:43 UTC

Yes, but do you have the curtains? Someday they'll all be yours, you realize.

Thread 10

kylegirl September 27 2006, 21:13:49 UTC

I'm not a copyright expert, but I'm a librarian so I do have to deal with copyright things for work sometimes, and I think this very probably falls under the very fuzzy umbrella of Fair Use, because it's a brief quotation, plus you get a Fair Use bonus because it's for educational purposes. And anyhow, even if it were a violation (which, again, I don't think it would be) there's almost no chance you'd get caught, and even if you did get caught, the worst that would happen is Terry and Neil's lawyers would send you a letter telling you not to make any more t-shirts like that. In short: I think you're fine from a copyright standpoint.

synekdokee September 27 2006, 21:38:43 UTC

I don't think so. At least I hope not, because http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v258/stella_polaris_/goankh.jpg

megkips September 27 2006, 21:39:58 UTC

That is a most awesome shirt.

blueeyedtigress September 27 2006, 22:49:20 UTC

Oh, that is a wootsome shirt. Woot! ;]

honorbound September 27 2006, 21:41:47 UTC

I researched copyright laws for school at one point, and that was the fuzzy bit. Basically what I turned up was that yes, it's technically illegal if you don't have permission, but it's very unlikely that anyone will care, since you're not mass-producing and distributing them.