Tampa, FL asked in Intellectual Property for Florida

Q: Can I use newspaper print for my art and then make prints of that completed work to sell?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Cynthia Ariel Conlin
Cynthia Ariel Conlin
Answered
  • Orlando, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: As always, it depends. If you use a newspaper print that is original, recognizable content, you may be infringing on someone else's copyrighted work. If you're using small text for the background and it is not recognizable or original, then no. The question is whether the content you are using is "original" and whether it is recognizable. Text in a newspaper can be protected written work, while images in a newspaper can be protected visual works of art. Stock listings, however, in the business section, would probably not qualify as "original."

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