Hi all,
I've been looking into creating a few products (mainly furniture items such as tables and lamps) using cuttings from Marvel and DC comics but I'm not entirely sure on the legal aspect. I've seen a few posts on here that would suggest that it's fine as I'm not copying any images - I would be using original comics that I've bought legally - but I just wanted to see if anyone could offer some advice on this specific situation.
Thanks in advance.
EDIT: Just realised I've posted this in the wrong place. Could a mod please move it to Copyright Basics?
Recycling comic books
Hi Titan,
As you say, we have covered this before here, and the law has not changed in this area, so I think it safe to say that so long as you are using original pages from these comics within your products, then there are no specific copyright issues.
And although there may well be some possibility of trade mark infringement if you include any of DC's or Marvel's trade marks within the pages you re-use, that and passing-off seem unlikely to be a problem also.
The main threat, if there is any threat at all, to what you what to do lies in the moral right of the artists not to have their work treated in a derogatory manner. Arguably, cutting up and re-assembling the images in a different manner could certainly amount to derogatory treatment, if it is seen as mutilation. Typonaut and I discussed this aspect in another thread some while ago, so I can do no better than direct you to my remarks at that time. You will find them towards the end of first page, and continued on page 2 of that thread.
As you say, we have covered this before here, and the law has not changed in this area, so I think it safe to say that so long as you are using original pages from these comics within your products, then there are no specific copyright issues.
And although there may well be some possibility of trade mark infringement if you include any of DC's or Marvel's trade marks within the pages you re-use, that and passing-off seem unlikely to be a problem also.
The main threat, if there is any threat at all, to what you what to do lies in the moral right of the artists not to have their work treated in a derogatory manner. Arguably, cutting up and re-assembling the images in a different manner could certainly amount to derogatory treatment, if it is seen as mutilation. Typonaut and I discussed this aspect in another thread some while ago, so I can do no better than direct you to my remarks at that time. You will find them towards the end of first page, and continued on page 2 of that thread.
Advice or comment provided here is not and does not purport to be legal advice as defined by s.12 of Legal Services Act 2007
