Re: Copyright infringement (was Re: Could someone make me decals?)

On Thu, 27 Jan 2000 07:51:43 -0500, Thomas Pope writes:
>-MWS- wrote:
>> 
>> You have obviously not had to deal with this issue, and no I am not
kidding
>> you.  The potential statutory fines for willful copyright
infringement are
>> up to $100,000 according to Section 501.C.2 of Title 17, and the last
time
>> I looked the fact that it's for "personal use only" doesn't exempt
one from
>> liability.
>
>Can you clarify that a bit?

For the record.  I am not a copyright lawyer, I don't even play one on
TV.

>For instance, how about the following set of circumstances:
>
>1) I draw Beavis and Butthead on a piece of paper
>2) I draw Beavis and Butthead on a computer and print the page
>3) I draw Beavis and Butthead and ask a friend of mine to print it
>4) I draw Beavis and Butthead and pay Kinkos to print it
>5) I draw Beavis and Butthead and pay XYZ decal company to make decals
>
>Where is the line drawn between somebody minding their own business and
lawsui
>t
>potential?

It is my understanding that if you draw something or take an actual
show shot and try and pass it off as a real B&B picture, you are in
trouble.

If you draw something yourself, and never try to claim it as a B&B
picture, you are probably all right.  Its o.k. to make parodies of
copyrighted works for example.	And as long as its original art, you
should be o.k.	By original art I mean not copied, not traced, but
original.

This is my understanding.  Not that this would necessarily make
someone print your decals however.

-=- Matthew L. Seidl		email: seidl@cs.colorado.edu		
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