Can I get in trouble if I’ll sell T-shirts or mugs with printed photo on it of music artists/cartoon characters/random pictures from the web?
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Can I get in trouble if I’ll sell T-shirts or mugs with printed photo on it of music artists/cartoon characters/random pictures from the web?
Can I get in trouble if I’ll sell these on ebay? As I figure, I can use pictures from public domains but can I really get in trouble for selling stuff on ebay? I see allot of sellers doing it so it can’t be dangerous, right?
Asked on April 11, 2012 under Business Law, Washington
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Wrong. If the picture or cartoon is under copyright you could be infringing on the right of the owner to use and market the photo. There is something called a "fair use" exception but your scenario does not fall under that. I would make sure that the photos are not under copyright before you invest a ton of money here to have your listings pulled or worse, you are sued. Good luck.
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