I Need help on Copyright/Trademark issues!

[skierkaj]

Ok, As you can read from my profile, I have a '76 Camaro (Motion Clone), and want to put something on the tailsection of my car stating that it was originally sold from AJ Foyt Chevrolet, Houston, Texas. Do I have to obtain permission to use his logo (see attachment)? Also, did he have a dealership emblem or sticker? I find it kind of amazing that my car is originally from Texas, and now lives in Wisconsin, and I want to show it on my car.

[newguy]

I am no lawyer, but I believe if you are not trying to make a profit off of it, you should be fine, but if you use his name to try to turn a dollar is where the you know what hits the fan. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/haha.gif

[DjD]

A trademark is an item that represents something, a coke bottle's distinctive shape says Coca Cola and is their trademark. You can't use the same bottle design and fill it with skierkaj cola and market it. Same thing you can't use this sites graphic (it's recognized as the sites trademark) and start your own web site.

Copyright is something that happens automatically when someone puts an idea down in their own words, be it a song, a story, a webpage or art. Basically it means others cannot copy or reproduce your efforts.

If you got the sticker from a company or person licensed by the copyright holder I don't think there is a problem with you placing it on you car. You are not implying that the trademark (sticker) is a business other than the one it is and you are not creating copies of it. I think you run more risk of copyright and or trademark infringment by cloning a motion than placing a dealership sticker on your car...

That's not to mean I think you will get in trouble for cloning a motion... I know a diehard nascar fan that has a 2002 camaro done to look just like dale jr's car. When they got all the decals produced they had a graphic artist change the fonts of all the lettering just enought to satisify the company making the stickers. They wouldn't reproduce exact replicas as they were not licensed to do so...