Are custom shirts legal?

Are custom shirts legal? Are custom shirts legal?, What can I legally put on a shirt?, Is it legal to put a logo on a shirt?, Are designs on shirts copyrighted?, Can I sell a shirt with a character on it?

What can I legally put on a shirt?

Regarding the t-shirt printing industry, copyright rules are very clear: you can't print out any design you see and think that makes it yours. Using any form of artwork that isn't yours is already a breach of rights unless the owner has specifically permitted you to use the artwork.

Is it legal to put a logo on a shirt?

But the reality is that copyright law applies to all intellectual property, even what you want to put on a t-shirt. Copyright law can be complex, which is why you've landed here. You know you're breaking the law when you're over the speed limit.

Are designs on shirts copyrighted?

Then this is not okay. If you have permission from the owner of the copyright to market and sell the shirts with copyrighted characters then you can sell it. Without any kind of permission then you'd be breaking copyright law and could be sued for a lot of money.

Can I sell a shirt with a character on it?

As long as you put it on the article of clothing yourself, and wear it yourself for personal use, and not portray yourself as a corporate spokesman or representative, you can wear any logo you want.

Can I put a Nike logo on a shirt?

Can you legally sell merchandise based on copyrighted characters without permission from the copyright holder (e.g., selling shirts with Mickey Mouse on them)? Yes, you can. Provided: The merchandise was lawfully made in the first place.

Can I sell Mickey Mouse shirts?

Some quotes may also be trademarked — so make sure you do a thorough search before using it for commercial use. There are some cases where using famous quotes is fine. If a quote is very general and not attributed to one person then this would be fine.

How to make a shirt without copyright?

It is absolutely fine to run with topical and funny parody shirts, but you also need to be careful that you're not breaking the law in the process. Mixing and matching known characters (or “mash-ups”) doesn't necessarily make it original either, so keep this in mind at all times.

Can you legally sell shirts with quotes?

Yes, as long as you stick to the Permitted Uses when you're using our Content (see Section 5 of our Content License Agreement for full details). For example, you can legally sell your design on printed merchandise like t-shirts, posters, stickers, tote bags and the like.

Can you sell parody shirts?

Courts generally recognize a person's right of privacy, according to FindLaw. The right allows people to dispute unwarranted publicity. Celebrities who claim their right of privacy can sue to prevent businesses from printing their image on T-shirts without permission.

Can I sell shirts with Canva designs?

Don't use any Google brand elements on merchandise such as shirts, mugs, posters, etc.

Can I put a celebrity on at shirt?

In general, if the sentence is protected by copyright and the use of it on the shirt would be considered a "derivative work," meaning a work that is based on or derived from the original copyrighted work, then permission from the copyright owner may be required to sell the shirt.

Can I use Google images on a shirt?

Copyright and trademarks are both forms of intellectual property, but the laws governing them are very different. “Star Wars” and many, many related terms are registered trademarks. You cannot use a Star Wars trademark for commercial purposes without a license from Lucasfilm/Disney.

Can I put a movie quote on a shirt?

Copyright and Trademarks: Marvel owns the copyrights and trademarks for its characters, logos, and other intellectual property. Using these without authorization constitutes infringement.

Can I sell shirts with Star Wars characters?

Intellectual Property: You should avoid infringing on Nike's intellectual property rights, including their trademarks, logos, and copyrighted designs. Creating and selling shoes that use Nike's logos or branding without permission could lead to legal issues.

Can I sell shirts with Marvel characters?

Yes, using the Nike swoosh logo in your design without permission from Nike can be considered copyright infringement, even if you're not selling anything or using the Nike name. The Nike swoosh is a trademarked logo and is protected under intellectual property law.

Can I make my own Nike shirt and sell it?

Trademark Infringement in Nike

In the case of Nike, their most well-known trademarks include the iconic Swoosh logo, the term “Nike,” and their slogan “Just Do It.” Unauthorised use of any of these trademarks could constitute infringement.


Can I sell art with Nike logo?

Yes, shops are not allowed to sell items based on Disney or other copyrighted characters. Etsy does not police this though, unless the copyright holder complains. Those shops are however taking a big risk as Etsy could completely shut down their shop and/or the copyright holder cold file a lawsuit.

Is it legal to use Nike logo?

In order to use the characters legally, you must request permission from Disney Enterprises. Multiple corporate entities of Disney own many of the intellectual property rights of Disney characters. To learn more about which Disney entity owns the character you want to use, visit the Disney website.

Is it legal to sell Disney shirts on Etsy?

Disney's Intellectual Property Rights

Some of the most popular Disney characters that are copyrighted include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy. If you are selling items that feature these characters, you will need to obtain permission from Disney before you can legally sell them.


How can I use Disney characters legally?

Check if a Trademark is Registered. You can search all applied-for and registered trademarks free of charge by using the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)'s Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).

Is it legal to sell Disney shirts?

You may use royalty-free images for any commercial use, including t-shirt printing. If you find any images or anything in the public domain, most likely their intellectual property rights have expired. So you can use these images.

How do I know if my shirt is trademarked?

Clothing and apparel have always been deemed “useful articles” because, by their very nature, they serve both a functional and aesthetic design purpose. Functional design features on clothing and apparel, such as “shape, style, cut, and dimensions” generally cannot be copyrighted.

Can I put a royalty free image on a shirt?

You'll need an inkjet printer, some transfer paper, and an iron. Transfer paper can be purchased at most stationery, craft, and office supply stores. Buy light transfer paper if you're planning to use it on light-colored shirts, and get the transfer paper meant for dark fabrics if you're using dark-colored shirts.

Why are clothes not copyrighted?

The use of relatively short direct quotes from a published work does not usually require permission from the copyright holder as it typically falls under the “fair use” provision.

Can you put an image on a shirt?

Can we use Famous Quote? Does it Come Under Copyright Infringement? The use of famous sayings often falls under a gray area in copyright law. As a general rule, short phrases or expressions, including brief sayings, are not typically eligible for copyright protection on their own.

Do you need permission to use famous quotes?

Can you really make money selling shirts on Etsy? The average successful Etsy seller makes between $43,000 and $46,000 annually. With a quality print on demand supplier, you can receive excellent prices on high-quality shirts featuring your custom design.

Are famous people quotes copyrighted?

Technically speaking, there's nothing illegal in the US about making and selling fan art because copyright isn't enforced criminally. Rather, copyright owners enforce their rights by suing infringers in federal civil court. If they win, they could get money from you.

Can I really make money selling t-shirts on Etsy?

Celebrities own the rights to their images, so by selling these you are breaking trademark infringement laws (and you can't use their names either). Fan art ceases to be fan art once you are selling it. All it takes is the IP owner issuing a takedown order and your listing is kaput.

Is selling fan made merch legal?

What is allowed? All free photos, music and video files on Canva can be used for free for commercial and noncommercial use. If a photo, music or video file contains an identifiable person, place, logo or trademark, please ensure you check the image source or contact us if you're unsure.

Can you put a picture of a celebrity on a shirt and sell it?

Canva's Free Media Licence Agreement is issued to end-users as part of Canva Free. So, users can design anything at no cost, but are limited to using their copyright-free images. If you want to use watermarked content, you can either pay for a one-time use or upgrade to Canva Pro to have full access to Canva Content.