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I would like to provide courses/ a community around visiting Disney and all the knowledge that is needed to have a good trip now days. Is it legal to run ads around this course or will Disney come after me for it?
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answered on Jul 18, 2024
Running online ads for your courses about visiting Disney is generally legal, but there are important considerations. You need to be cautious about how you use Disney’s trademarks and copyrighted material. Using Disney’s name or logos in a way that suggests an official endorsement or... View More 
And they want me to put together a montage for them from their gameplay. Is it illegal to edit for them since they don't own the video game itself? Thanks!
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answered on Jun 15, 2024
The video montage most likely would be considered as an infringing derivative of the copyright audiovisual work (the game). This could result in a DMCA takedown notice. It's equally or more likely that the videogame producer would appreciate the publicity for their product (assuming the... View More
I want to build a collection of simple programs that are essentially building blocks to build original programs. An example would be a program that demonstrates multiprocessing with four threads.
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answered on Mar 26, 2024
Like many software copyright questions, this one is fun to answer because it implicates the "merger doctrine" of (c) law.
Expressions of ideas have copyright as soon as the expression is made. Ideas themselves cannot have copyright. For example, detailed instructions for making a... View More
3dfx made computer accessories under the Voodoo brand. Nvidia, who makes the GeForce series of computer accessories acquired 3dfx in 2001 and shut them down. Nvidia never uses any of their branding or trademarks, they only use portions of technology that was internally developed. Over 20 years... View More
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answered on Feb 21, 2024
Using a brand and trademark that has been dormant for over 25 years could potentially lead to trademark infringement issues, even if the original owner has ceased using it. Trademark rights can persist as long as the owner continues to renew and maintain them, regardless of whether they actively... View More
Fair use allows saving an image that isn't artistic but it doesn't allow an artistic work to be copied without it being infringement. Is it the context of the artistic element that makes it ok to screenshot Google Street View imagery for private use offline, but not ok to "save image... View More
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answered on Jan 31, 2024
The key difference between saving an image of an artistic work and a non-artistic work, like a family photo, lies in the concept of copyright and fair use. Artistic works are typically protected by copyright, which gives the creator exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and display their work.... View More
Examples:
1. I draw a fan art of a car with a company logo on the front from a photograph without permission.
2. I draw a fan art without permission of a character.
3. I right click a copyrighted image from Google Images, Bing Images, or a website, etc. and click "save... View More
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answered on Jan 30, 2024
Determining fair use versus copyright infringement can be complex, but some general principles apply:
1. Using a company's logo in fan art without permission is generally trademark infringement, not fair use. Trademarks identify the source of goods/services, so using them suggests... View More
Archiving these into my personal storage without sharing is also considered fair use then? Incidental sharing means sharing only to one or a small number of people?
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answered on Jan 30, 2024
In the United States, fair use is a legal doctrine that allows for the limited use of copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder. Saving a website offline or copying and pasting its content verbatim into your personal notes for later studying may potentially be considered... View More
How does this difference apply to these types of images: artistic works, non-artistic works, photography, non-artistics things in general such as screenshotting a house on Google Street View, etc.?
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answered on Jan 30, 2024
The difference between "downloading" and "using 'save image as'" for a copyrighted image is largely technical and does not significantly alter the legal implications regarding copyright law. Both actions involve making a copy of the image, which can infringe on the... View More
I'm looking for an overview of everything it would generally cover. I already know it covers criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. But does this apply to an individual, businesses, or both; is it only for private uses or anything non-commercial only? Is it... View More
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answered on Jan 30, 2024
Fair use is a legal doctrine that provides certain limited exceptions to copyright law, allowing the unlicensed use of copyright-protected works in certain circumstances. Here's a broad overview:
- Fair use applies to both individuals and businesses/organizations. It covers private,... View More
I want to save the images of the inside of a house I grew up in offline for memories. How is this different from screenshotting Google Street View Imagery for memories offline? Wouldn't it be copyright infringement to copy a copyrighted image without permission whether it be downloading,... View More
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answered on Jan 30, 2024
Hi there. Good morning, and happy Tuesday. A few key points regarding saving images from Zillow.com or Google Street View:
- Simply saving an image from a website to your personal computer for private viewing and memories is generally considered fair use under copyright law. You are not... View More
What about if the images contain someone's car or any trademarks? Does this action infringe on any IP, such as design patents, patents, copyrights, trademarks, etc.?
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answered on Jan 29, 2024
Under copyright law, using a screenshot of Google Street View imagery for personal, non-commercial purposes, like reminiscing about a house you grew up in, generally falls under fair use. However, it's important to be mindful of how you use these images, especially if you decide to share them... View More
I want to use Google's Android keyboard app to write stories into a commercial use android word processing app and then sell them. The only thing I found in Google's service-specific additional terms under "Gboard" is no selling. Does no selling apply to all Google app or... View More
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answered on Jan 29, 2024
When interpreting Google's terms regarding the use of their apps and services, such as Gboard, it's crucial to differentiate between the app itself and the content you create using the app. Generally, the prohibition against selling usually refers to the app or the service itself, not the... View More
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answered on Jan 24, 2024
There is no definitive yes or no answer to this question, as determining fair use involves a complex, fact-specific analysis. However, some key considerations regarding backing up legally obtained apps and software include:
- If the terms of use or license agreement specifically prohibit... View More
I read online that most people don't care since it isn't being shared but yet they still are copying without permission. There's also saving a copyrighted image from Google Images and setting it as a desktop or phone wallpaper without permission; I read online that could be legal,... View More
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answered on Jan 24, 2024
Yes, generally printing a copyrighted image for personal use in a kid's bedroom without permission from the copyright holder would still be considered copyright infringement. Here's a breakdown:
- Simply making an unauthorized copy of a copyrighted work constitutes infringement,... View More
By content on the website, I mean the notes I can take verbatim, copy and pasting. In this instance, notes are not the entire website content, but a sizable portion of the text for private studying. The notes may or may not infringe on copyright. How is copying notes verbatim different from... View More
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answered on Jan 24, 2024
There are some key differences between copying textual website content into private notes versus copying images or videos without permission:
1. Purpose and character of use: Taking verbatim notes for private study purposes is more likely to be considered fair use than pure entertainment... View More
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answered on Jan 24, 2024
Copying and pasting dictionary definitions into your notes or flashcard app for personal use generally falls under the category of "fair use," a concept in U.S. copyright law. Fair use allows limited use of copyrighted material without requiring permission from the rights holders,... View More
I read Google Play's terms of use and it says that Google Play content is for non-commercial use only. I contacted an app developer, who published their apps on the platform, if one of their apps was non-commercial use only and they responded that there were no restrictions on using their app.... View More
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answered on Jan 23, 2024
When it comes to using apps from the Google Play Store for commercial purposes, it's important to differentiate between the terms of service of the platform (Google Play) and the terms of use of individual apps. Google Play's terms generally refer to the content they directly provide, not... View More
Taking notes by summarizing the key points and citing the sources seems not to be copyright infringement. Is this the same in academic writing and research papers? Would it be fair use if I took notes verbatim without summarizing for private study?
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answered on Jan 23, 2024
Taking notes from a copyrighted website, even if you don't summarize or transform them, can be considered fair use under certain circumstances. Fair use is a legal doctrine that allows limited use of copyrighted material without permission for purposes such as criticism, comment, news... View More
Products include stamps, christmas cards, bikes, etc. that has a design or logo on them; pretty much anything IP laws cover. I don't plan on sharing the photos if it is legal to take them. Also, how does this apply to product pictures for an Ebay listing?
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answered on Jan 22, 2024
Taking photographs of products you have purchased for personal use, such as keeping them on your PC for memories, is generally not considered copyright infringement. Copyright law typically allows for the personal, non-commercial use of such images. This is because your use is private and does not... View More
I play a video game that allows for modding, meaning you can add, remove and/or augment most things, from character models to game mechanics.
I want to add 3 fairly popular movie characters to my game and also make YouTube videos and have live streams with them included.... View More
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answered on Jan 21, 2024
Modding a video game and adding 3rd party intellectual property (IP) characters can potentially raise legal issues. Using popular movie characters without proper authorization may infringe on copyright and trademark rights held by the owners of those characters.
Displaying these modded... View More
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