Fonts…..& Copyright……

[v8adam]

hi guys if anyone gets a chance are they able to advise me on this as iam sure what i can and can not make.

[Shane Drew]

quote v8adam:

Hi guys, i didnt know which area to post this so i hope its ok here.

As mentioned elsewhere i just got my Roland Stikka cutter. As well as using for personal use, i would like to make some stickers to sell to friends and also sell a few at some automotive swap meets and eventually maybe markets and online. Biggest question is about copyright. I have some ideas for “bumper stickers” and these would not use any logos so they would just be words. So assume copyright doesnt matter there?
But what about company logos, whats the copyright on reproducing them to use on a sign. Ie: if someone has a car and wants a Ford logo for it….or Toyota etc etc. Can i do that and make a profit on it?

And lastly…is there anywhere i can find a good collection of free fonts? ive found some fonts but they are fonts made up that are used in famous logos such as Coka Cola, addidas and so on. (mod-edit)

Sorry mate, didn’t see this post before.

Copyright on fonts is not really an issue if they are free. It would be against the law to sell them tho, which is why, when you buy compilations of free fonts on CD, the publisher will make note on the package something to the effect you are paying for them to distrubute the free fonts. They are not actually selling the rights to the fonts.

Copying non free fonts and passing them on is the same as copying videos or CD’s. Myfonts and Lynotype will chase you if, for instance, you have a website giving away the fonts. Plenty of those when the web was in its infancy, but few around now. Plenty of good free font sites around. Just google ‘free fonts’ heaps will come up. I used font garden a lot but now I choose to buy them from places like MyFonts or Sign DNA or signfonts.com. Using a purchased font also makes your work a little more unique. Anyone can reproduce your work if its a free font, but buy something different and they have to work a bit harder, they may think twice.

Logo copyrights are no different. None of the major brands are happy with anyone profiting from their logo, and Holden and Landrover here in Oz have been known to send legal letters if they find the source. I was doing work for panel shops, and reproduced the Peter Brock signature for a repair. I charged $50 for vectoring and supplying the computer cut text. Holden sold them for $150. As you imagine they were not happy, and I got a letter from their solicitor.

Its akin to you designing, or paying a designer to produce something that is unique to you, then have someone go out and copy it, selling it for a fraction of your price. How would you feel do you reckon?

In truth, in my experience, most logos are probably not a problem, as long as they are not massed produced, or are not degrading the company. If however you see a copyright solicitor, they’ll warn you that any reproduction is breaking their copyright.

You may get away with a facsimile (a close copy) but even then, Landrover will not tolerate that either.

Personally I think doing a logo for the odd car is not an issue either in my experience, but don’t mass produce them without approval. I’ve done them for a number of the superV8 teams here, with the knowledge of the car companies, and I’ve never had an issue, but to be truly covered, you should get an order from your customer stating their requirements in writing. Then if you do, you can plead ignorance and show them that you were filling an order.

I’ve been down this path some time ago, after we were supplying an Australian car fanatic living in the UK, and he was paying us to produce racing, car and oil brand stickers, and then being sold through car clubs over there.

We were advised quietly that we were in serious breach of copyright, and pulled the plug before we got into any hot water.

Hope that helps.

Where in Oz are you based?

[v8adam]

thanks for the reply mate.
im sydney based. just doing hobby stuff and may sell some small bumper stickers and signs at swap meets and possibly markets.
im currently designing a "no parking anytime except for my ………." sorta sign.