 Re: Shirt Design Restrictions
As far as copyright, it depends on a number of factors: When it was said (in the US, if it was before 1923 it is not covered by copyright), Who said it (public officials generally don't hold copyright to their public communications), what form it was said in (verbal or written), the type of work in which it was published (some types of work can't be copyrighted), and many other factors including whether it is in itself a complete work. For example, Ogden Nash wrote a poem called "Reflections on Ice Breaking." The poem, in it's entirety, reads: "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." That's the entire poem. Putting that on a shirt would almost certainly be a violation because it is a complete work. Quoting it here is not because it is covered by the "fair use" exception.
And then there's always the possibility that it is trademarked. It's quite easy to do a trademark search online, but just because something doesn't show up doesn't always mean it's safe to use. For example, McSleep Inns was ruled to have violated the McDonald's trademark.
You can check with an intellectual property lawyer, or you can just take your chances. |