So in my area there is a sign shop which has a retail store in the mall and a production shop in the same city. The do everything from stickers/decals, to banners, flags, T SHIRTS, mugs, anything that could possibly be customized they will...And they will use any teams, any brand, any logo at all. I know for 100% FACT they dont have ANY licenses to use ANY of the products they produce. How can I report this, and too who? Its hard to compete with someone who has no licensing costs!!!
How to report a company violating copyrights, licensing, etc...
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205 Posts
Copyright infringement is a civil infraction, so you need to report it to the owner of the logo. I'm sure any professional sports team would be interested in someone using their logo. For that matter any national/international corporation would be interested as well. I believe Sony paid a bounty back in the 80's during the walkman days.
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100 Posts
Dude why waste your time and money. Us it to better market your business. These people will get what is coming to them. Do your thing.
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1,555 Posts
Hi. Trouble is you are assuming that they have not got the licensing rights. If you start making those sorts of allegations and they prove to be unfounded, then you could be the one that faces legal action.
Most businesses are there to make money selling their product, not spending their entire time chasing small operators through the courts. You could waste hours finding the time to write to all these copyright owners, whereas the time would be much better employed in promoting your own ventures.
Most businesses are there to make money selling their product, not spending their entire time chasing small operators through the courts. You could waste hours finding the time to write to all these copyright owners, whereas the time would be much better employed in promoting your own ventures.
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1,352 Posts
I know how you feel i felt the same way after seeing a couple shops in my area doing the same thing. I personally went over and chewed them out but they still kept doing it, so i gave up.
Then another time i went to a local mall and seen a guy selling funny and offensive t-shirts and seen one of my designs! I went crazy! i started snatching every single shirt he had on there with my design and he gave up the screen printer who printed it. I spoke to the screen printers and told them i was taking them to court for copyright infrigment that's when they started blaming the retailer saying that the retailer gave them the design to print! so to make the long story short i ended up getting some $$$$ and the retailer apologized saying he didn't know it was illegal to do that(Ya right). So IMO i would pursue trying to stop these people from making money off of other's people hard work and find a logo or design that's from a big corporation that there making and call up the big corporation and tell them that there reproducing there work illegaly. Also just make sure that they don't have a license because if they do your going to look like a fool you know what i mean. Goodluck
They have no licenses, I am so sure I would bet anyones life on it, lol. Trust me I know....
Anyhow so the only thing to do would be contact individual companies huh?
Here in the Usa there is no governing agency which might be interested in a business that steals money illegally all day every day?
Anyhow so the only thing to do would be contact individual companies huh?
Here in the Usa there is no governing agency which might be interested in a business that steals money illegally all day every day?
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721 Posts
OK...I was on your side, but this changes everything. It's beginning to sound like this is more a personal vendetta.
While I would appreciate someone letting me know that my logo or designs were being used by someone else for profit, I would hope they would tell me because it's the right thing to do; not because they want to stick it to someone else.
Uh... if you were very close to the owner, employees and their business, you were alright with them violating copyrights before?
If you ever took part in their business, maybe someone will come knocking on your door if you report them?
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1,352 Posts
Not to sound rude or anything, but why didn't you report them when you new the owner or a least talk to the owner about it. This does seem to personal to me and seems like your just trying to get back at him for something that happened between you guy's.
To my knowledge, there is no "agency" that is the clearinghouse for reporting copyright violations. You'd have to report to the individual companies that are having their copyrighted work used without permission.
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4,074 Posts
But in the end, you would still want to know wouldn't you? It's not as if the thief is a stand up guy who is being improperly persecuted. He is making money by selling essentially counterfeit merchandise.
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82 Posts
Personal or not, stealing is wrong. Don't question the motivation, fight for the principal. Anyone that creates original ideas for a living should worry about this, and support anyone that has been stolen from.
R.
R.
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205 Posts
This is a tough one...on one side I think stealing someone else's work is the lowest of lows. But it does sound like this is a personal vendetta. It's kinda like tattling on an ex-employer cause you were fired, when you were happily participating in the behavior as an employee. That being said, unless you publically say "Company X" is stealing someone else's designs, there's nothing wrong with inquiring of the owner of a design that you'd seen their design in a store and was curious as to whether they were a licensed supplier. I think you may be best to just let it go and if they are in fact selling products they are not licensed to sell they'll likely get their come-uppins sooner or later.
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82 Posts
Very true. But I'll bet he has learned it was bad, which is good.
I hope others learn without going through that process. I do think it is funny when someone starts to get REALLY SERIOUS about intellectual property when they are victimized. We don't care about car theft recovery rates either, until our car is stolen. Heh.
R.
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10,512 Posts
I agree. Right action, wrong reason. I'll side with right action.
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2,957 Posts
If this is true, I would report them to the FBI. It sounds more like bootlegging than just using logos from few small companies.
I also disagree with those that say "mind your own business". Bootlegging effects everyone, and someone doing it on this large of a scale is what drives up the costs of goods for those of us that purchase "real" products from licensed companies.
There's a big difference in going around being the "bootleg police" and knowing that people are violating the law, stealing from other companies, and you do nothing about it. Yes, infringement is civil, but depending upon how large of a scale it being done, can most certainly be criminal with the penalty being actual jail time.
I would also urge others to use caution before they start accusing one of being "vindictive" with a former employer. We don't know the circumstances of their relationship. If you go back and read, the OP never said that they worked for the company.
Just that at one time they were very close to the owner.The FBI very involved with the sale of counterfeit clothing (which is what this is if they are selling clothing with the logos of others), and the penalties are very stiff.
If you go to the FBI website and search "counterfeit clothing" you will see the press releases for cases and cases of people that got many years for doing the very thing the OP says this company is doing.
It's a serious crime, and whatever the motives, I say report their ***!
I actually would assume this company is actually competition for many of you out there, they are in charge of about 15 sites, and a few are the biggest of thier kind around.
Anyhow my reasons for wanting to get this company in trouble is because there stealing from me, from other local businesses, from thousands of websites, from school, professional sports teams, car companies, ANYTHING ANYONE can think of, they do it all.
The owner was once arrested because Toyota pressed charges against him for copyright infringement. There is a history of 20 + years.
They dont hardly pay taxes, employees, no insurance, no benefits, unlawful in every respect.
anything that can make the owner have more money in his pockets right now, is fine by him.
i know alll of this because I JUST DO!!!
I never worked there, I JUST KNOW!!!
maybe im the owners priest, or maybe my son worked there, or maybe i bang the owners wife and she talks alot....
it dont matter how i know....
i want them stopped for justice for all!!
-thanks!
Anyhow my reasons for wanting to get this company in trouble is because there stealing from me, from other local businesses, from thousands of websites, from school, professional sports teams, car companies, ANYTHING ANYONE can think of, they do it all.
The owner was once arrested because Toyota pressed charges against him for copyright infringement. There is a history of 20 + years.
They dont hardly pay taxes, employees, no insurance, no benefits, unlawful in every respect.
anything that can make the owner have more money in his pockets right now, is fine by him.
i know alll of this because I JUST DO!!!
I never worked there, I JUST KNOW!!!
maybe im the owners priest, or maybe my son worked there, or maybe i bang the owners wife and she talks alot....
it dont matter how i know....
i want them stopped for justice for all!!
-thanks!
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