Thread: Copyright laws.
View Single Post
Old 11-18-2005, 07:53 PM  
Paul Waters
Confirmed User
 
Paul Waters's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 4,402
First, this is trademark law, not copyright.

The question is not so much will you win a lawsuit, as can you afford the court case.

I have been looking, without success, for some kind of precedent.

What is the likelihood that the trademark holder will notice and care?

Masturbate with a barbie doll, and I think Mattel will go apeshit.

Wear a sweater with a Nike swoosh logo, and they may not care.

A lawyer friend offered these thoughts (at no charge):

If you buy something with a trademark, and just use it as it is generally intended to be used, you have a decent argument to make to a judge.

Being able to show other situations where the trademark has been used in commercial work is a strong argument.

The publicity from a lawsuit can be extremely valuable.

The major downside exposure is an injunction stopping sales. The plantiff has to be able to convince a judge that they will suffer irreperable harm, or harm that they cannot receive compensation for.

I would like to hear about actual court decisions relating to this issue.
__________________


Paul
Paul Waters is offline   Share thread on Digg Share thread on Twitter Share thread on Reddit Share thread on Facebook Reply With Quote