9-Heart
Offline

Hey,

'cause i'm thinking about making some shirts for me i really want to get sure about copyright issues, you know?
It could be that i also would sell some of them and for one motive i have a question. You all know the Pokémon-Games of course. That's why i assume you know about the Pikachu-Sprite in Red and Blue. I now used some DatabendMagic on it, and that's the motive i don't know about.
Could i get in trouble for that, even i alternate the picture? Would it be okay in the eyes of the law? And if not, would it be, if the Databendachu would get a black censorbar over its eyes?

This would be the design.

Thanks so far Guys.

ant1
Offline
uhajdafdfdfa

the creators of that sprite might not NOTICE or might not CARE but they defnitely have the right to stop you from doing that if they want to

you can't just fiddle the colours a bit and call it a different picture. in fact anything which is recognisably pikachu at all is not allowed since the whole concept of "pikachu" is theirs

9-Heart
Offline

I almost thought that, damm.
Thats also why this one chiptune dude dosn't sell that one shirt with four pokémon-sprites on spreadshirt. But he uses a Metapod as logo and on another t-shirt instead?

Schoq
Offline
Sweden

If it's only for yourself you definitely won't get into trouble. If you're selling them to others at a small scale you're still very unlikely to get into any trouble.
You're technically not allowed to but nothing will realistically stop you.

That said: if you're using this as something to represent you as an artist, something a bit more original would probably be more fun?

ui
Offline
Venezuela

I will give you my advice... don't use/re-use memes, create your own, if you don't have the skills... well tell somebody who have them to do it for you, specially if youre going to print shirts, but well is just my advice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meme

Btw, if you ask there are probably ppl that can make you a logo/symbol so you can use them as yours. If you pay for it, i can make you one
www.iloveui.com

Love Through Cannibalism
Offline
Barcelona

About that chiptune dude who uses metapods and stuff

I had to remove that design from Spreadshirt because Spreadshirt told me to do it (For my safety, so i don't get in trouble with Nintendo). They also told me to remove a design featuring Super Mario Clouds, but i re-did the sprite and now it's pretty different from the original.

I use Metapod as my artist identity, but that's just me using that image for fun, i'm not making money for it. Using it as a shirt design (Even if you give the shirt for frees) is different, and they can stop you // warn you // etc So if i go mainstream, they probably would told me to stop using Metapod.

Also don't even try asking Nintendo, they are dicks about copyright.

9-Heart
Offline
Schoq wrote:

[...]
That said: if you're using this as something to represent you as an artist, something a bit more original would probably be more fun?

Nah, don't worry, i just like databend stuff and liked how this one turns out.
For the representing i'm using another graphic, drawn by iXDXSX. In fact it's this one:

Right now, i'm working out with him about his cut. 'Cause if i start printing shirts with this i don't want to just be a dick and make money with a design he made in his free time for me with the costs of nothing.

@LTC:
Of course they are dicks, maybe they would even rip the design off and make themself some shirts.

Schoq
Offline
Sweden

?
But that's still just a slightly modified Nintendo design. You're in the exact same situation with that.

Last edited by Schoq (Apr 23, 2012 10:36 am)

Nestrogen
Offline
Winter Haven, FL
Schoq wrote:

?
But that's still just a slightly modified Nintendo design. You're in the exact same situation with that.

Seriously. I mean, don't you want something truly original to represent you? I have love for SOME Nintendo characters. The whole "that's MARIO-SUPER RETRO-MEGA-DONKEYMON and I can relate to that" thing-- was sadly destroyed years ago by shit textile pushers and Nintendo.

The question is... are you in "this" to be recognized or to do your own thing?

9-Heart
Offline

I'm in a region where nobody can relate to 8bit or chiptune - Hell, most of the people dosn't even know it exists. Only thing they can relate is the word GameBoy.
And i got mad love for the Blooper, and the fact that im barly known in my region does the rest. So a Blooper is just right for the situation and where i am right now.

nordloef
Offline
sweden
9-Heart wrote:

I'm in a region where nobody can relate to 8bit or chiptune - Hell, most of the people dosn't even know it exists. Only thing they can relate is the word GameBoy.
And i got mad love for the Blooper, and the fact that im barly known in my region does the rest. So a Blooper is just right for the situation and where i am right now.

That would be a great opportunity to introduce something new instead of reintroducing old 8-bit characters.