In the vast majority of cases if one has to ask if it is a copyright violation than it is. Second if you are using the school mascot in your design you have a second issue. Colleges are hard core about protecting their brand.
how do you know they don't have licensing for printing those images and phrases?I thought copyright violation was the core of the Obey line... a digitized image of Andre the Giant along with a line lifted from the movie "They Live"
This is just like the occupy wallstreet group copywriting thier logo so they can capitalize on thier anit-capitalism movement.how do you know they don't have licensing for printing those images and phrases?
If you are only using a similar style and all of the creative elements of the design are your own original work, then you should be fine.I designed a t-shirt that has a similar style to Obey Propaganda with borders but entirely in my own design and has no signs or symbols related to them at all.
This may be a bigger issue than copying the Obey design style.The design is focused on my university mascot (a tiger - it's definitely not the identical design because I know that'll be an issue for copyright) with few symbols that are related to my university. I will not put the name of my university or any references related to them at all because of copyright issues.
I thought copyright violation was the core of the Obey line...
Two wrongs don't make a right.Pretty sure it's common knowledge that Fairey has run into that problem a few times...