St Louis, MO asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for Missouri

Q: Can I use the New Yorker logo on top of an original design on clothes to sell on Etsy? Other well known names?

What are the rules regarding using a copyrighted name for small business commerical use? I'd like to be able to put albums, song names, or use images from movies on clothing items - obviously with an original twist of my own, but I'd like to stay in business, too.

1 Lawyer Answer
Erik Špila
Erik Špila
Answered
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer
  • Senec, Slovakia

A: These are sort of complicated and not so easy to answer questions which would require more details from your side so we can provide you more case specific answers.

In general - you can not use copyrighted logos, names, designs and so on without the consent of the copyright owner in business. There are some exceptions, however these are mostly specific to certain country and case. Therefore I highly recommend you to seek intellectual property lawyer and provide him with more details about your case. Then he/she can provide you with your case-specific solution.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.