[americano528]

Hi, I´m new to this forum. I´ve joined it because I´ve got a friend who makes some great t-shirt designs which would sell very quickly!

Before we make a small business out of it, I have a few questions.

first, he used various images to make up a new image, it´s not a collage or anything like that but lets say he used an eye from one picture, a mouth from another etc. to make up a face. is this considered copyright infringement if basically it´s been distorted completely? or is it considered new artwork?

second, we still don´t know if she should make the shirts ourselves and sell them or if we should sell the design. if we sell the design, how do I sell it? on other forums he received an offer for $1 per shirt the guy sold but I don´t think it´s a good idea... how do I verify how many shirts he sold? How much is a good idea worth for a flat one time fee?

that´s about it to get started! I´ll be posting up small watermarked thumbnails of his designs and I´ll probably be selling them too. is that possible to do on this website? I don´t wan´t to break any rules and destroy my reputation on this forum...

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rodney]

first, he used various images to make up a new image, it´s not a collage or anything like that but lets say he used an eye from one picture, a mouth from another etc. to make up a face. is this considered copyright infringement if basically it´s been distorted completely?

That's a question for a lawyer But if you aren't usuing original works and you don't have permission, you could run into problems if the author (or someone who knows the author) of the original works sees it and has a problem.

second, we still don´t know if she should make the shirts ourselves and sell them or if we should sell the design. if we sell the design, how do I sell it?

I wouldn't suggest selling just rights to the design/artwork. That's a much harder route since you'll have to find a company that buys t-shirt designs like the one you designed (not an easy task, since most big companies have their own in house designers).

how do I verify how many shirts he sold?

Another good reason why it might be wise to avoid that route.

You could always sell t-shirts with the design in many ways: print them yourself using a heat press, use a fulfillment company like cafepress, zazzle, spreadshirt etc that will setup a store for you for free and print the shirts on demand as the orders come in.

hat´s about it to get started! I´ll be posting up small watermarked thumbnails of his designs and I´ll probably be selling them too. is that possible to do on this website?

No, in general this is not a "selling" forum. It's more of an informational forum. The exception is the T-Shirt Gallery where you can upload your designs and link them to your online store (if you have an online store).

If you want honest feedback from other members about your design, you can post a thumbnail in the Site Reviews Design Reviews forum:
http://www.t-shirtforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=36

:welcome:

 

[Solmu]

lets say he used an eye from one picture, a mouth from another etc. to make up a face. is this considered copyright infringement

That's a question for a lawyer But if you aren't usuing original works and you don't have permission, you could run into problems if the author (or someone who knows the author) of the original works sees it and has a problem.

Much as I don't want to start another incident, I think it's fair to say that if you're using an element from here, an element from there, etc. that is copyright infringement, and you don't need to pay a lawyer to tell you that. It is still essentially collage (collage doesn't have to be rough cut paper from magazines, it's just a combination of images from different sources) which is considered a derivative work.

If you want to do that legally, you could use public domain source art (such as most of the Dover library for example). If you're also doing it less literally (most artists use source material at least some of the time), and just saying "I want an eye like this, a mouth like this, etc." and then actually drawing them yourself, that should also be fine.

 

[fcivilized]

Much as I don't want to start another incident, I think it's fair to say that if you're using an element from here, an element from there, etc. that is copyright infringement, and you don't need to pay a lawyer to tell you that. It is still essentially collage (collage doesn't have to be rough cut paper from magazines, it's just a combination of images from different sources) which is considered a derivative work.

What is a Public Domain Art site? Does that mean it's free for the public to use?

 

[Solmu]

What is a Public Domain Art site? Does that mean it's free for the public to use?

Yes, work in the public domain is free for anybody to use. Most work is not in the public domain, but there is some good free art out there. If it is not clearly stated as being public domain, assume that it's not.