Nottingham, MD asked in Copyright and Intellectual Property for Maryland

Q: IS COLORING SOMEONE ELSES MANDALA DESIGN FRAMING IT AND SELLING IT ILLEGAL??????

2 Lawyer Answers
Alan Harrison
Alan Harrison
Answered
  • Intellectual Property Lawyer
  • Milford, CT

A: It depends on what license they gave you for the design. Did they give you a license for personal use only or for commercial uses as well? If they did not give you any license at all, it definitely is not a good Idea to sell their work as your own.

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James L. Arrasmith
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Answered

A: Coloring someone else's mandala design, framing it, and selling it can involve legal and ethical issues. It largely depends on the copyright status of the original mandala design. If the design is under copyright, using it without permission for commercial purposes could infringe on the rights of the original creator.

You should first determine if the mandala design is in the public domain or if the creator has granted permission for this kind of use, possibly under a Creative Commons license or similar. Without this clarity, selling a colored version of someone else's work could lead to legal consequences.

If you're interested in pursuing this, you might consider reaching out to the creator for permission or licensing the design for commercial use. This way, you can respect the rights of the original creator while engaging in your creative and commercial activities.

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