one quick question. If I have permission to use a quote, do I need to let TeeSpring know so it doesn't get removed and negatively impact my trust score?
Hi, I created a shirt on placeit. It was a dragon head that said Senior Wrath 2020. I then received an email from teespring saying; "it has been terminated early due to content concerns. It appears your campaign may be using content owned by a third party". Why did I get this? Please advise.
Hi greg! Your videos are great. I'm learning a lot from it. I have a question, if i Photoshopped photos of athletes, will i still violate Rights to publicity/privacy?
I have a question Greg I’ve made something on teespring based on your video, I’made it from scratch but I’m not sure whether someone else has something similar, so how do I know whether someone else has it before ?
This is extremely important info ... and exactly what I was looking for to understand how to safely start my art and inspiration for teespring ... thanks for clearing up the rules 🤗
Hi Greg, Thanks for the great videos man. I had a question though related to copy right. How do you know that your are actually coping someone on tee spring or not while you are designing your shirt ? Lets's assume you came up with something, how can you be sure that's it's not already taken. Thanks!
Hey! Thanks for the video, I have one question though. What if we randomly come up with a design / slogan/ texts for our shirt. And directly decide to try it and sell it. It can also be the same as others. I mean, there is no guarantee that someone else didn't make it. And if this actually ended up being the same. Will we get copyright striked? Does this mean we have to go check out for the designs of our niche just to be sure someone else didn't make it before? But won't that list be too big to check? Just to look for one probability.
Greg, please answer this if you can, I'm thinking about the same thing here, especially when it comes to quotes and trending phrases etc. Naturally more people would know and most likely use them.
Hi Greg I see there are “I ❤️... “ and “straight outta ...” tees and website generators for these two pop culture designs. Is it true that combination of two words cant be copyrighted and thats why its is used ... and the exact designs are trademarked ? Would using this be parody or fair trade use?
The real question is how do you know if your original work is violating any copyright. It is possible for two people to have the same idea. It is very hard to find out if that idea is already in use anywhere in the world or on the internet. I have tried to check a few ideas and I am pretty sure they are free from copyright infringement, but I never feel completely confident in that.
Your videos are really helpful. Thanks a lot... I also had a doubt, like in one of your videos you talked about copyright on text what about copyright on pictures for example I take a picture of the cartoon spongebob will it come under copyright ? Or am I free to pick any?
For copyright checking, I'm using TMHunt and the USPTO, and while searching as a full keyword, I haven't received any copyright responses, but while searching the same terms in a split search, I can see some copyrights for some words. These kinds of keywords can I use in my designs, or is it better to leave them out?
Hi, Great video, thanks for the information. I was just wondering, would it fall under Copyright rules if I used words or a quote from something in public domain?
Thanks for asking! There's always some gray area on copyright in print on demand. I recommend shooting an email to sellers@teespring.com to get written confirmation before going for it :)
Viewed this video one design too late. Nothing intentional, but it doesn't matter. Disney don't play. Lesson learned. Thanks for all your great videos!
Is it original if I was inspired by a logo trademarked and added to it ? here is an example spearment gum lets say I added the word - ISH like spearment-ish and used the same colors on a gum package. Would I be ok because I added ish to it? Or can I email you an example I havent been able to find help its for a t shirt.
Great question! Unfortunately, it does fall under copyright infringement. Unless you get their permission to use it (which if you find a way to do this please let me know as it would be a game changer!) It falls under Right of Publicity/Privacy because they have a "reputation" to uphold so they get to pick and choose where their name is used. It makes sense, but for us it just means we can't use their quotes even when citing them as the source. Hope that helps!
Hi Greg, I know you cannot copyright a phrase. It is too general. However, Teesprings policy may be different in this matter. For example: If you do a search on Teespring for "Woke AF" many shirts come up by many different sellers. Now each tee has a different font, color design but the words are the same. Can you elaborate on this? I read teesprings policy but it was not clear. If this is not allowed how come so many cases of this happening? Thanks
Sure! Technically phrases can be copyrighted/trademarked within their usable context. However for t-shirts, it's a gray area. The rule of thumb to stay safe is as follows: Don't use anything that you think is copyrighted/trademarked, and the owner would pursue it. Technically, by creating an original design, you are the copyright owner (technically). However it's more important to focus on the formally protected copyrights/trademarks from companies/brands. For t-shirts, stay away from company owned verbiage and be sure to customize everything to be your own. The more you customize, the more you are protected.
I've gotten mixed answers from the internet and I've seen so many of your videos and trust your advice so thank you for that and what do you know about Copy write for Bible verses- legal to use or no? Quotes of people. Including their names. People no longer living? Legal or no? Still living? For example, Bill Gates...Legal or no?
Great question! I definitely recommend avoiding using any fonts that are not commercially usable. It's better to be on the safe side and not risk your POD accounts. I hope that helps!
quick question, Let's say I just the first name of the celebrity (e.g 'Nicki' short for Nicki Minaj) will this still consider as illegal? because I'm short it have other people name nicki
Hi Greg, I love your videos! Can you give me a link where I can copyright my own designs, please? Because I'm afraid of being copied or having my designs stolen. Thanks. Tom.
Great question Tom! If you made the design yourself, you technically own the copyright to it informally by being the original work creator. This means if someone copies your design, you can email the POD website and report it. They will look to see that you uploaded it first, and that it is in fact a copy, and they will remove it. If you wanted to go further, you can formally protect your designs for about $500 each with the government.. I've done it in the past and I dont recommend it.. The only difference is if you need to go to court (would not likely ever get to this point), you would be able to show proof of formal protection filed. I hope that makes sense and helps!
How does copyright apply to auto makes and models? You can look at any print site and find numerous examples of designs with manufacturer's names and logos and/or specific car models. Is this considered fan art or is there just so much of it the companies can't do anything about it?
Great question! Personally, I always stay away from these (I'm actually surprised they haven't been flagged and removed already!). Any brand names or logo's are big no-no's no matter the industry. Fan art can be in the gray area, the more creative and custom you make it, the more protected you are.
Brother you have done a great job. But I have a question. If any of my design has the copyright previously that I was unknown that job, how can I find if my job is copyrighted or not?
Hey Greg! I have been thinking about designs that include photos of my property (taken by me). So I was wondering if I have to protect those pictures somehow or any advice you can give to me in this situation
first of all thank you for the amazing work brother. My questions is ; I created a slogan to go on a shirt. But later on during my research found out that somebody already have used that same exact slogan. But my design/layout is different. Can I still use it??
It depends if the slogan is copyright/trademark protected and if your design of that slogan is too similar to the one already uploaded. I hope that helps!
Greg Gottfried thank you for your revert. The slogan was uploaded to redbubble and i believe everything that is uploaded to these platforms get copyrighted by them. Correct? Also my layout is totally different. Please advise.
Hi. Just came across a profile on instagram with 17k followers. They liked my shirt design last week and are now sending their followers to their own teespring link with my exact design. Exact in phrase, text font, and spacing... how do I report this?
Just found your channel and find your videos very helpful. I'm thinking of setting up a Redbubble account. I was looking through some of the graphics yesterday after watching this video and was surprised at the number of graphics which would seem to violate copyright/trademark rights. If you use a quote on a shirt and credit who said it, is that infringement? Or a picture of a deceased person with the quote, etc?
Thanks for the comment and great question! I totally agree, many people are uploading designs that should not be allowed. Since these sites operate in such high scale, they cant catch all the copyright infringing designs right away. They have an automated system that is always going through the listings and removing those that it believes are violating copyright/trademark/right of publicity or privacy (famous people or even deceased famous people). I hope that helps explain why you're seeing these!
@@GregGottfried thanks for the reply! Makes sense. I'm assuming quotes from long dead people before copyright laws would be safe, (ancient Greeks or earlier Presidents) Martin Luther King is often quoted online. Those were more specifically what I was thinking. Thanks again
Hi Greg. I have a question about t-shirt copyrights on Teespring, Merch by Amazon and Red Bubble.... Can i quote things from songs or films... For example, could i quote Tony Montana from Scarface and make a t-shirt that says "Say hello to my little friend" (I'm not going to do that, just an example) Or quote a line from a song... for example... "I fought the law and the law won" (The Clash) PS love your channel and am in the process of setting my first income streams up & running. Thanks for the great videos John
Can I go ahead and launch my original tee shirt designs before I actually copyright them? Also shouldn’t I place the small C inside a circle at the bottom of my work to affirm its protected
what if I bought a tshirt design from a website and other people can buy the same design and sell it as well, would teespring consider it as copyright? thank you for the answer
What about shorts phrases. Like only 2 words that might be similar to a song for example. How can we find out what’s legal and what’s not in terms of words and phrases? I do know that you can’t copyright a pose, but you can’t trace or match an illustration or photo. I think when writing songs for example, you can have 6 notes or something like that, that are the same before you get into deep water. What are the rules about lyrics or phrases?
I hope you reply to this. what about anime designs i got that i cannot use the original design...but what if i create me own design but use the anime character For example (as a silhouette).
I am usually using quotes for my deisgns. Before using the quotes, I did a bit of research and it mentioned that I can use quotes of famous people who are no longer around. Is that still copyright?
Sherin Sultana On average, the copyright in a work lasts for 70 years after the death of the author, after which the work will no longer be protected by copyright. The duration varies slightly from one country to another.
Hey Greg! Love your content! Keep it coming. I wanted to ask about using particular words. I recently got a strike because the word "pil" was in my title. I meant to type pillow but I was out of characters and it cut it off to "pil". Never would I have guessed that a word like "pil" would be a violation. So now I am gun-shy about words I use. What about a word like "Grind"? Any way to check on these before I use them? Should I email Teespring before I list something? Thanks!
Great question! If you made the design yourself, you technically own the copyright to it informally by being the original work creator. This means if someone copies your design, you can email the POD website and report it. They will look to see that you uploaded it first, and that it is in fact a copy, and they will remove it. If you wanted to go further, you can formally protect your designs for about $500 each with the government.. I've done it in the past and I dont recommend it.. The only difference is if you need to go to court (would not likely ever get to this point), you would be able to show proof of formal protection filed. I hope that makes sense and helps!
Thx. I just saw my tshirt exact quote and same font on someone elses website..i was shocked because that was my first online design!! Do u have any videos on how i can turn it into a profit by creating a license for my quotes???
Hy there. I would like to know the same like Araya. Moreover what about content that is used by several people on T-Shirts like: “I survived 2020” or “What if 2020 is a trailer for 2021?”. Can I use those phrases with my own original design and way of writing it on a t-shirt? How should I know if it is infringing copyrights or not? I don’t know who said it first :))
I saw a top-selling hoodie on teespring with just a Mario on it, is that copyright? if it does it justice, the hat is popping up from Mario's head. Is it okay to use google filter and use copyright free images on commercial purpose too?
Hey Greg, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I figured I'd ask anyway. If I took a screenshot from the intro of a tv show and printed them on shirts, mugs, etc, that could be considered copyright infringement, right? It doesn't include any actors, names, or the title, and isn't explicitly referencing the show, but since it's not original, I assume it would be. Thank you!
Glad you asked! Yes, that is protected material so unfortunately we cannot use it. The reason is because it's their set, and their original work that you'd be profiting from :)
@@GregGottfried Hi Greg, Thank you for the reply! I have one more question. I've been looking at a lot of shirts from various tv shows & movies to get a feel for acceptability. I noticed that there are near-copies of shots from them, that are tweaked ever so slightly, be they color scheme or something similar. I assume this falls under original work? Thanks again!
It's a very fine line and I always think it's best to stay on the safe side. Often times designs make it onto the marketplace but then get flagged and taken down randomly down the road. With that said, you may see some that are on the marketplace that are not allowed (and will likely be removed in the near future). I wish I had a clear cut answer for you on this but it's such a complex area :)
Hi Greg hope you and your family doing well, during all this Covid 19 Stuff. My question in some of my designs I like to use Printed fabric in the Design illustrations, we use to just buy the material and make items to sell but now this is all digital. Do you know if there is Copyright Infringement with using Printed Fabrics in Designs?
So... What do I do if I make a unique design I came with myself, and it just so happens to resemble another shirt I've never seen before a little too closely?
What if I accidentally copy someone's design? I mean, it can easily happen with designs that consist only of text. Maybe someone else had the same idea before me on some other website and I had no idea about it.
Hi Greg, First of all nice content. Thank you. Now if you have 1 minute I have a question for you: How can I check if a design it's already used or not? Thank you for your time !
Hey Greg, I’m confused about the right of publicity thing. Why am I not allowed to make a caricature of a public figure but every artist in the news is allowed to do it?
I have a question. So I have this one design of Loki in my mind. It's not copied from anyone nor is it showing the face of any celebrity but due to the costume, it is very obvious that it is inspired by the MCU. Does that count as copyright infringement?
What if I were to use a d20 from Dungeons and Dragons in my t-shirt design but I created it myself? Would that still be considered infringement because of the dice still being from Dungeons and Dragons? Btw, big thanks to those who take time to answer. I'm pretty stuck, and I don't have the money to talk to a lawyer about this...
Thanks for the comment! Great question! They have a pretty fine line between fan art and copyright infringement. I would shoot a wuciwug email to sellers@teepsring.com to get the official written word. Attach an image of the design you'd want to include too and they will give you the proper answer for free :) I hope that helps!
Great video! If I wanted to get permission from a band, like pink floyd, to use their lyrics on my t-shirts...any idea how I would go about doing that? Any idea what they would charge?
Hi Greg, I just found out about your videos yesterday, def subscribed and almost watched them all! I was wondering if it's allowed to print random funny photos from Google such as memes or other funny photos that's relevant to covid19 virus situation thats made by other designers? If it's not allowed that means all sellers design their own prints before printing on shirts, correct? Maybe I have to ask whoever designed those pictures the right to use them on the shirts? Just tryna figure out how this works before I get into it, thanks alot!
Wow! Glad to have come across your videos! Thanks a lot.. I got a doubt.. How to ensure that the quote or symbol or anything that we are about to use isn't already used by someone else?
I thought what you describe here at about 3:18 is what I did but teespring took it down. It was my very first attempt at designing and listing on teespring. 😒 Any ideas on how I can get them to explain what I did wrong so I can move forward without being a repeat offender?🤔
hey Greg I'm having trouble figuring out what images i can use on shirts. I'm specifically interested in using pictures/memes of politicians, newsworthy persons/events, and historical persons/events. These are images we've all seen on facebook or reddit, are immediately recognizable, and very hard to track down original photographer/artist these could also include bastardizations of famous and loved animated characters
I've submitted 3 designs (different 4 or 5 word phrases) which had Halloween related subjects. I searched Teespring and elsewhere for similar phrases but didn't find the exact wording. Two of the designs got kicked (and I got the infringement emails). The ones that got kicked have monster in them, but I couldn't find my exact phasing in my research. Monster seems like such a general term that I was really surprised (ex: Monster of Love-mine, vs Love Monster, an existing phrase). How do I avoid this (research processes, etc.) and do I risk damaging my relationship with Teespring by continuing on like I have? If they are that sensitive to design idea infringement, I don't see how I can get enough designs to make this viable. Please advise. Thanks.
Thank you for your video, I'm still a bit confused on if it would be considered disrespectful for what I'm hoping to do with my designs. What about photographs, say photographs that were taken of the solar system, technically original copy art, could you help me with this question? I'm just not sure if taking a legitimate photograph would be considered copywriting ? Thanks in advance!! 😁
I get images from the internet (like tony stark, peter parker) and trace over them and colour them in, leaving their faces blank. I also put fictional character quotes on my designs. Is that copyright or can it be copyrighted? someone who has a lot of sales and who does what i do told me that it isn’t copyright unless if i copy and pasted an image and that it’s alright if i drew the design
One more question: how does Tee Spring or any of these 3rd party platforms pay you? If you use PayPal they skim a lot off the top. Is it better to just link right into your bank with a program like Zelle or something instead? Thanks👍
Can you do a video on "artist" taking designs from teespring, that are not there's, and using them on other platforms Please? ...personally going through this. You do awesome work!
I made a shirt with a quote from Tupak then i put his Signature (I searched for the signature and i downloaded LABELED FOR REUSE) then my shirt was suspended ..... i don't even know where the Infringement is from..... and i'm afraid to relaunch the campaign because my whole account will be suspended next time ..
Thanks for reaching out on this! It's likely coming from Right of Publicity/Privacy. It's a form of copyright and applicable to celebrities. I know it's pretty confusing but without there persons permission, you cant use their quote even with their name as the source. Not ideal but just the way it works legally. You can also shoot Teespring an email at campaigns@teespring.com to get the specific reason it was taken down. I've got a video on this on the channel that explains the copyright in more detail if you're interested! I hope that helps!
Thanks a lot Greg for such amazing content. I have query about this copyright. I have found a niche for my t-shirt designs and found some inspirations also. I want to go with the Words at the beginning. But how am I supposed to know that someone hasn't done that words before me?
Hey thanks for the info really appreciate it! Are things like a professional ball players stats somehow in this realm of trademark and etc cause there name is being used to display who’s stat it is? (Like on a t-shirt or something for example)
Try sending the image to your computer a different way (or a different email provider if you are emailing it). Sometimes the email provider adds a white background.
Great question! Yes and No. If the image is copyright free then yes you can, but if the image is protected, it will be removed from the POD automatically platform.
If I know my first niche, how do I know if it's already been done so I don't infringe? If I make 100 designs for my store front before I put them out there.
Great question! You can use the same niche as someone else, you just cant use the same designs. As long as you are creating your own designs, and not copying someone else, you shouldn't have any issues at all. I hope that helps!
I am planning to start Print on Demand business soon. Like the photos they bring, or the photos taken by me and edit them using photoshop and sell them. For example, my customers are fans of Bob Marley, I will be using different images of Bob Marley and will edit them and print them on T-shirts and sell them. Example a customer shaking hands with Bob Marley And I will print such photos on Tshirt or mugs as per the customers demand. Is it safe to do this if the customers sign the form to give me the permission to make such photos as per their demand and print them on their Tshirts?
I'd remove it before they do.. If they remove it, they will also lower your trust score. To remove it, got to dashboard, edit icon next to the listing, then end immediately.
That's a great question! I don't know the answer to that one! It's a tough one because if you create it yourself, it's original work (so you own the copyright). However, if it looks like a copy of someone else's work that's trademarked, they are protected by their trademark! I'd shoot Teespring a message at campaigns@teespring.com or live chat on the website to get a better answer than mine. Hope that helps!
I'm selling football related merchandise. I am creating shirts with colors are similar to the team colors but I'm not using the team names or their slogans. Example I have a Green Bay Packers themed shirt that says "beer, brats, cheese and green bay" would that be considered copyright infringement?
ok so two scenarios: 1.- Suppose I design a T-shit using an Ice Cream image from PlaceIt with my PAID subscription and upload my design to Teespring, what if someone already uploaded a design using the exact same Ice cream image as mine but with a completely diferent quote and a diferent general idea, am I in trouble or is this allowed? 2.- Am I allowed to grab the exact same quote that I might have seen on a T-shirt that I found around and use it to create a completely different design around that quote or is that not allowed too? Thanks in advance
Do you think it's okay to find images on Google but have my own original words like I use the picture of roses that I found on Google can I get in trouble by the person that took that picture
Hope this helps clear up Teespring Copyright rules! Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
one quick question. If I have permission to use a quote, do I need to let TeeSpring know so it doesn't get removed and negatively impact my trust score?
Hi, I created a shirt on placeit. It was a dragon head that said Senior Wrath 2020. I then received an email from teespring saying; "it has been terminated early due to content concerns. It appears your campaign may be using content owned by a third party". Why did I get this? Please advise.
Hi greg! Your videos are great. I'm learning a lot from it. I have a question, if i Photoshopped photos of athletes, will i still violate Rights to publicity/privacy?
I have a question Greg I’ve made something on teespring based on your video, I’made it from scratch but I’m not sure whether someone else has something similar, so how do I know whether someone else has it before ?
@James Wedge I have the same doubt!
Don't sell trademark, don't sell quotes or personal identity, don't sell others' work. Sell your own creations. Sounds good thanks!
This is extremely important info ... and exactly what I was looking for to understand how to safely start my art and inspiration for teespring ... thanks for clearing up the rules 🤗
Hi Maria! Thanks for the comment! I'm so glad it was what you were looking for! You're very welcome :)
Can i use Canva and free Canva elements/templates to make designs for t-shirts, or does Canva have copyright on images over use of resale?
Can we use the word like "Iron Man" or "Ross","Monica" or name of any celebrity in some Movie
Short answer no, Those are copyrighted or trademarked.
Hi Greg, Thanks for the great videos man. I had a question though related to copy right. How do you know that your are actually coping someone on tee spring or not while you are designing your shirt ?
Lets's assume you came up with something, how can you be sure that's it's not already taken. Thanks!
Hey! Thanks for the video, I have one question though.
What if we randomly come up with a design / slogan/ texts for our shirt. And directly decide to try it and sell it. It can also be the same as others. I mean, there is no guarantee that someone else didn't make it.
And if this actually ended up being the same. Will we get copyright striked? Does this mean we have to go check out for the designs of our niche just to be sure someone else didn't make it before? But won't that list be too big to check? Just to look for one probability.
Great question I was wondering exactly this too! Can't search the entire internet!!!
Greg, please answer this if you can, I'm thinking about the same thing here, especially when it comes to quotes and trending phrases etc. Naturally more people would know and most likely use them.
I love this question! I’m really confused about what I can create.
@@markeisharobinson6437 it depends on which "platform" you will sell in it .
Hi Greg
I see there are “I ❤️... “ and “straight outta ...” tees and website generators for these two pop culture designs. Is it true that combination of two words cant be copyrighted and thats why its is used ... and the exact designs are trademarked ? Would using this be parody or fair trade use?
The real question is how do you know if your original work is violating any copyright. It is possible for two people to have the same idea. It is very hard to find out if that idea is already in use anywhere in the world or on the internet. I have tried to check a few ideas and I am pretty sure they are free from copyright infringement, but I never feel completely confident in that.
I didn’t know all this, especially about celebrities and quotes. Thank you!😀 Happy New Year!
Happy new year! That's what I'm here for! Hope it helped you!
Your videos are really helpful. Thanks a lot... I also had a doubt, like in one of your videos you talked about copyright on text what about copyright on pictures for example I take a picture of the cartoon spongebob will it come under copyright ? Or am I free to pick any?
How do you Check to make sure there is no trademark or copyright issues beforehand ???👀
Can I use a Smiley (2 eyes and mouth with yellow color) on my print if I designed it myself?
Can I use my original artwork on my products in teespring?
Let's say I would design a rectangle ( rather than circle )blue and white like BMW , and with theirs's font I design a "BNW", would you that?
For copyright checking, I'm using TMHunt and the USPTO, and while searching as a full keyword, I haven't received any copyright responses, but while searching the same terms in a split search, I can see some copyrights for some words. These kinds of keywords can I use in my designs, or is it better to leave them out?
Hi,
Great video, thanks for the information. I was just wondering, would it fall under Copyright rules if I used words or a quote from something in public domain?
Thanks for asking! There's always some gray area on copyright in print on demand. I recommend shooting an email to sellers@teespring.com to get written confirmation before going for it :)
Greg Gottfried thanks!
@@GregGottfried i have idea idea for a shirt which i seen a shirt with the same word. But i would be using the word with a diffrent logo.
Hey Gregg,
How do we check if someone used ours? Or if we came up with one, and without noticing there was someone else that already said that quote?
Viewed this video one design too late. Nothing intentional, but it doesn't matter. Disney don't play. Lesson learned. Thanks for all your great videos!
Dang.. No worries if it's just once. You're right, Disney does not mess around!
Hi Greg, why would I need a trademark of I’m only going to be selling tee shirt designs on 3rd party sites like tee spring or Merch?
what if I create a shirt with a quote and the face of an historical character like Marcus Aurelius or something, for example?
Is it original if I was inspired by a logo trademarked and added to it ? here is an example spearment gum lets say I added the word - ISH like spearment-ish and used the same colors on a gum package. Would I be ok because I added ish to it? Or can I email you an example I havent been able to find help its for a t shirt.
Does celebrity quotes/lyrics without mentioning their names also count as infringement? Thanks.
Great question! Unfortunately, it does fall under copyright infringement. Unless you get their permission to use it (which if you find a way to do this please let me know as it would be a game changer!) It falls under Right of Publicity/Privacy because they have a "reputation" to uphold so they get to pick and choose where their name is used. It makes sense, but for us it just means we can't use their quotes even when citing them as the source. Hope that helps!
@@GregGottfried It does. Thank you so much for the quick reply.
Hi Greg, I know you cannot copyright a phrase. It is too general. However, Teesprings policy may be different in this matter. For example: If you do a search on Teespring for "Woke AF" many shirts come up by many different sellers. Now each tee has a different font, color design but the words are the same. Can you elaborate on this? I read teesprings policy but it was not clear. If this is not allowed how come so many cases of this happening? Thanks
Sure! Technically phrases can be copyrighted/trademarked within their usable context. However for t-shirts, it's a gray area. The rule of thumb to stay safe is as follows: Don't use anything that you think is copyrighted/trademarked, and the owner would pursue it. Technically, by creating an original design, you are the copyright owner (technically). However it's more important to focus on the formally protected copyrights/trademarks from companies/brands. For t-shirts, stay away from company owned verbiage and be sure to customize everything to be your own. The more you customize, the more you are protected.
I've gotten mixed answers from the internet and I've seen so many of your videos and trust your advice so thank you for that and what do you know about
Copy write for
Bible verses- legal to use or no?
Quotes of people. Including their names.
People no longer living? Legal or no?
Still living? For example, Bill Gates...Legal or no?
What about copyrighted typefaces and typefaces that say they aren't for commercial use? Thoughts?
Great question! I definitely recommend avoiding using any fonts that are not commercially usable. It's better to be on the safe side and not risk your POD accounts. I hope that helps!
quick question, Let's say I just the first name of the celebrity (e.g 'Nicki' short for Nicki Minaj) will this still consider as illegal? because I'm short it have other people name nicki
What about the images that we found online and it is free. Can we use it alone on a thsirt or we need to add something on it. Or we shouldn't use it.
Hi Greg, I love your videos! Can you give me a link where I can copyright my own designs, please? Because I'm afraid of being copied or having my designs stolen. Thanks. Tom.
Great question Tom! If you made the design yourself, you technically own the copyright to it informally by being the original work creator. This means if someone copies your design, you can email the POD website and report it. They will look to see that you uploaded it first, and that it is in fact a copy, and they will remove it. If you wanted to go further, you can formally protect your designs for about $500 each with the government.. I've done it in the past and I dont recommend it.. The only difference is if you need to go to court (would not likely ever get to this point), you would be able to show proof of formal protection filed. I hope that makes sense and helps!
@@GregGottfried Thanks a lot for your quick answer! 🙌 Can't wait to watch your next videos.
what if i use parts of google images and texts on my designs? Does this count as copyright?
How does copyright apply to auto makes and models? You can look at any print site and find numerous examples of designs with manufacturer's names and logos and/or specific car models. Is this considered fan art or is there just so much of it the companies can't do anything about it?
Great question! Personally, I always stay away from these (I'm actually surprised they haven't been flagged and removed already!). Any brand names or logo's are big no-no's no matter the industry. Fan art can be in the gray area, the more creative and custom you make it, the more protected you are.
Brother you have done a great job. But I have a question.
If any of my design has the copyright previously that I was unknown that job, how can I find if my job is copyrighted or not?
Hey Greg! I have been thinking about designs that include photos of my property (taken by me). So I was wondering if I have to protect those pictures somehow or any advice you can give to me in this situation
Hello Greg, i am new at this so this means i cannot use any cartoon such as Marvel,DC, DBZ, exc?
That's correct, anything that is owned by someone else we cannot use to make profit from. I hope that helps!
@@GregGottfried What about drawings or digitally painted movie characters?
first of all thank you for the amazing work brother. My questions is ; I created a slogan to go on a shirt. But later on during my research found out that somebody already have used that same exact slogan. But my design/layout is different. Can I still use it??
It depends if the slogan is copyright/trademark protected and if your design of that slogan is too similar to the one already uploaded. I hope that helps!
Greg Gottfried thank you for your revert. The slogan was uploaded to redbubble and i believe everything that is uploaded to these platforms get copyrighted by them. Correct? Also my layout is totally different. Please advise.
What if I printed an image from Google and pasted it on a t-shirt but for personal use/not to profit out of?
But I still need to copyright my original work correct?
Can we use something from games? Like quotes or pics?
Hi. Just came across a profile on instagram with 17k followers. They liked my shirt design last week and are now sending their followers to their own teespring link with my exact design. Exact in phrase, text font, and spacing... how do I report this?
hey greg nice video , i just wana ask that
What if i make a design and it is similar to someone coincidencely
Just found your channel and find your videos very helpful. I'm thinking of setting up a Redbubble account. I was looking through some of the graphics yesterday after watching this video and was surprised at the number of graphics which would seem to violate copyright/trademark rights. If you use a quote on a shirt and credit who said it, is that infringement? Or a picture of a deceased person with the quote, etc?
Thanks for the comment and great question! I totally agree, many people are uploading designs that should not be allowed. Since these sites operate in such high scale, they cant catch all the copyright infringing designs right away. They have an automated system that is always going through the listings and removing those that it believes are violating copyright/trademark/right of publicity or privacy (famous people or even deceased famous people). I hope that helps explain why you're seeing these!
@@GregGottfried thanks for the reply! Makes sense. I'm assuming quotes from long dead people before copyright laws would be safe, (ancient Greeks or earlier Presidents) Martin Luther King is often quoted online. Those were more specifically what I was thinking. Thanks again
Hi Greg. I have a question about t-shirt copyrights on Teespring, Merch by Amazon and Red Bubble....
Can i quote things from songs or films...
For example, could i quote Tony Montana from Scarface and make a t-shirt that says
"Say hello to my little friend"
(I'm not going to do that, just an example)
Or quote a line from a song...
for example...
"I fought the law and the law won"
(The Clash)
PS love your channel and am in the process of setting my first income streams up & running.
Thanks for the great videos
John
What have you found anything about that?
I was wondering the same thing
Can I go ahead and launch my original tee shirt designs before I actually copyright them? Also shouldn’t I place the small C inside a circle at the bottom of my work to affirm its protected
Are there any chances of the account being completely disabled?
hi! I was wondering if using emojis in your design is copyright ?
what if I bought a tshirt design from a website and other people can buy the same design and sell it as well, would teespring consider it as copyright? thank you for the answer
If it is the exact same design, the person who uploaded it first gets the rights to it, and the duplicate design will be removed :)
What about shorts phrases. Like only 2 words that might be similar to a song for example. How can we find out what’s legal and what’s not in terms of words and phrases? I do know that you can’t copyright a pose, but you can’t trace or match an illustration or photo. I think when writing songs for example, you can have 6 notes or something like that, that are the same before you get into deep water. What are the rules about lyrics or phrases?
I hope you reply to this.
what about anime designs i got that i cannot use the original design...but what if i create me own design but use the anime character For example (as a silhouette).
Hello Greg. Thank you for the amazing content, it has been very helpful. I have a question: ¿Can I use altered movie dialog to make a t-shirt?
Hey can we use copyrighted quote but, in our own design like "it is what it is" ? please help me out.
love how the camera is clean.. love the vides
Thank you!
I am usually using quotes for my deisgns. Before using the quotes, I did a bit of research and it mentioned that I can use quotes of famous people who are no longer around. Is that still copyright?
Sherin Sultana On average, the copyright in a work lasts for 70 years after the death of the author, after which the work will no longer be protected by copyright. The duration varies slightly from one country to another.
Hey Greg! Love your content! Keep it coming. I wanted to ask about using particular words. I recently got a strike because the word "pil" was in my title. I meant to type pillow but I was out of characters and it cut it off to "pil". Never would I have guessed that a word like "pil" would be a violation. So now I am gun-shy about words I use. What about a word like "Grind"? Any way to check on these before I use them? Should I email Teespring before I list something? Thanks!
If I were to colour a colouring sheet and make it a cutout (png) and therefore use it as a design on teespring, would that be copyright?
Don't you have to have something copyrighted before you can claim ownership?
Great question! If you made the design yourself, you technically own the copyright to it informally by being the original work creator. This means if someone copies your design, you can email the POD website and report it. They will look to see that you uploaded it first, and that it is in fact a copy, and they will remove it. If you wanted to go further, you can formally protect your designs for about $500 each with the government.. I've done it in the past and I dont recommend it.. The only difference is if you need to go to court (would not likely ever get to this point), you would be able to show proof of formal protection filed. I hope that makes sense and helps!
@@GregGottfried thanks you for the info
Thx. I just saw my tshirt exact quote and same font on someone elses website..i was shocked because that was my first online design!! Do u have any videos on how i can turn it into a profit by creating a license for my quotes???
Hy there. I would like to know the same like Araya. Moreover what about content that is used by several people on T-Shirts like: “I survived 2020” or “What if 2020 is a trailer for 2021?”. Can I use those phrases with my own original design and way of writing it on a t-shirt? How should I know if it is infringing copyrights or not? I don’t know who said it first :))
I saw a top-selling hoodie on teespring with just a Mario on it, is that copyright? if it does it justice, the hat is popping up from Mario's head. Is it okay to use google filter and use copyright free images on commercial purpose too?
Hey Greg,
I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but I figured I'd ask anyway. If I took a screenshot from the intro of a tv show and printed them on shirts, mugs, etc, that could be considered copyright infringement, right? It doesn't include any actors, names, or the title, and isn't explicitly referencing the show, but since it's not original, I assume it would be.
Thank you!
Glad you asked! Yes, that is protected material so unfortunately we cannot use it. The reason is because it's their set, and their original work that you'd be profiting from :)
@@GregGottfried Hi Greg,
Thank you for the reply! I have one more question. I've been looking at a lot of shirts from various tv shows & movies to get a feel for acceptability. I noticed that there are near-copies of shots from them, that are tweaked ever so slightly, be they color scheme or something similar. I assume this falls under original work?
Thanks again!
It's a very fine line and I always think it's best to stay on the safe side. Often times designs make it onto the marketplace but then get flagged and taken down randomly down the road. With that said, you may see some that are on the marketplace that are not allowed (and will likely be removed in the near future). I wish I had a clear cut answer for you on this but it's such a complex area :)
What Camera do you use. And music in the background very good
I have a simple tshirt on Merch by Amazon with 2 catchy words. How do I stop someone from copying it, changing font and selling on other platforms?
Hi Greg hope you and your family doing well, during all this Covid 19 Stuff. My question in some of my designs I like to use Printed fabric in the Design illustrations, we use to just buy the material and make items to sell but now this is all digital. Do you know if there is Copyright Infringement with using Printed Fabrics in Designs?
So... What do I do if I make a unique design I came with myself, and it just so happens to resemble another shirt I've never seen before a little too closely?
What if I accidentally copy someone's design? I mean, it can easily happen with designs that consist only of text. Maybe someone else had the same idea before me on some other website and I had no idea about it.
Hi Greg,
First of all nice content. Thank you. Now if you have 1 minute I have a question for you: How can I check if a design it's already used or not?
Thank you for your time !
can we copy quotes and change the image?
Hey Greg, I’m confused about the right of publicity thing. Why am I not allowed to make a caricature of a public figure but every artist in the news is allowed to do it?
I have a question.
So I have this one design of Loki in my mind. It's not copied from anyone nor is it showing the face of any celebrity but due to the costume, it is very obvious that it is inspired by the MCU. Does that count as copyright infringement?
What if I were to use a d20 from Dungeons and Dragons in my t-shirt design but I created it myself? Would that still be considered infringement because of the dice still being from Dungeons and Dragons?
Btw, big thanks to those who take time to answer. I'm pretty stuck, and I don't have the money to talk to a lawyer about this...
Thanks for the comment! Great question! They have a pretty fine line between fan art and copyright infringement. I would shoot a wuciwug email to sellers@teepsring.com to get the official written word. Attach an image of the design you'd want to include too and they will give you the proper answer for free :) I hope that helps!
@@GregGottfried Thank you! I appreciate the response. I'll do just that. Love the content. Keep up the great work!
Can I use images from canva or envato elements?
Great video! If I wanted to get permission from a band, like pink floyd, to use their lyrics on my t-shirts...any idea how I would go about doing that? Any idea what they would charge?
Hi Greg, I just found out about your videos yesterday, def subscribed and almost watched them all! I was wondering if it's allowed to print random funny photos from Google such as memes or other funny photos that's relevant to covid19 virus situation thats made by other designers? If it's not allowed that means all sellers design their own prints before printing on shirts, correct? Maybe I have to ask whoever designed those pictures the right to use them on the shirts? Just tryna figure out how this works before I get into it, thanks alot!
Wow! Glad to have come across your videos! Thanks a lot..
I got a doubt.. How to ensure that the quote or symbol or anything that we are about to use isn't already used by someone else?
I thought what you describe here at about 3:18 is what I did but teespring took it down. It was my very first attempt at designing and listing on teespring. 😒 Any ideas on how I can get them to explain what I did wrong so I can move forward without being a repeat offender?🤔
hey Greg I'm having trouble figuring out what images i can use on shirts. I'm specifically interested in using pictures/memes of politicians, newsworthy persons/events, and historical persons/events. These are images we've all seen on facebook or reddit, are immediately recognizable, and very hard to track down original photographer/artist
these could also include bastardizations of famous and loved animated characters
I've submitted 3 designs (different 4 or 5 word phrases) which had Halloween related subjects. I searched Teespring and elsewhere for similar phrases but didn't find the exact wording. Two of the designs got kicked (and I got the infringement emails). The ones that got kicked have monster in them, but I couldn't find my exact phasing in my research. Monster seems like such a general term that I was really surprised (ex: Monster of Love-mine, vs Love Monster, an existing phrase). How do I avoid this (research processes, etc.) and do I risk damaging my relationship with Teespring by continuing on like I have? If they are that sensitive to design idea infringement, I don't see how I can get enough designs to make this viable. Please advise. Thanks.
Hi Thank you for your videos
Can I use a movie title on a shirt?
Thank you for your video, I'm still a bit confused on if it would be considered disrespectful for what I'm hoping to do with my designs. What about photographs, say photographs that were taken of the solar system, technically original copy art, could you help me with this question? I'm just not sure if taking a legitimate photograph would be considered copywriting ? Thanks in advance!! 😁
I get images from the internet (like tony stark, peter parker) and trace over them and colour them in, leaving their faces blank. I also put fictional character quotes on my designs. Is that copyright or can it be copyrighted? someone who has a lot of sales and who does what i do told me that it isn’t copyright unless if i copy and pasted an image and that it’s alright if i drew the design
One more question: how does Tee Spring or any of these 3rd party platforms pay you? If you use PayPal they skim a lot off the top. Is it better to just link right into your bank with a program like Zelle or something instead? Thanks👍
They pay with either Paypal or Payoneer. They actually take the hit on the transaction fee so we get the full amount :)
Can you do a video on "artist" taking designs from teespring, that are not there's, and using them on other platforms Please? ...personally going through this.
You do awesome work!
I made a shirt with a quote from Tupak then i put his Signature (I searched for the signature and i downloaded LABELED FOR REUSE) then my shirt was suspended ..... i don't even know where the Infringement is from..... and i'm afraid to relaunch the campaign because my whole account will be suspended next time ..
Thanks for reaching out on this! It's likely coming from Right of Publicity/Privacy. It's a form of copyright and applicable to celebrities. I know it's pretty confusing but without there persons permission, you cant use their quote even with their name as the source. Not ideal but just the way it works legally. You can also shoot Teespring an email at campaigns@teespring.com to get the specific reason it was taken down. I've got a video on this on the channel that explains the copyright in more detail if you're interested! I hope that helps!
Thanks a lot Greg for such amazing content. I have query about this copyright.
I have found a niche for my t-shirt designs and found some inspirations also. I want to go with the Words at the beginning. But how am I supposed to know that someone hasn't done that words before me?
Hey thanks for the info really appreciate it! Are things like a professional ball players stats somehow in this realm of trademark and etc cause there name is being used to display who’s stat it is? (Like on a t-shirt or something for example)
Thank you for the video, it’s very helpful. Can I print on demand song lyrics? Not an entire verse but just some words. Thank you 🙏.
The texts upload with a white background when I choose transparent background. Do you know of any app that uploads without the white background?
Try sending the image to your computer a different way (or a different email provider if you are emailing it). Sometimes the email provider adds a white background.
@@GregGottfried I tried email also from celll. Still white backgrouund.
Te Re try png instead of jpg. Worked for me
So, can I just download image from Chrome and put it on t-shirt?
Great question! Yes and No. If the image is copyright free then yes you can, but if the image is protected, it will be removed from the POD automatically platform.
If I know my first niche, how do I know if it's already been done so I don't infringe? If I make 100 designs for my store front before I put them out there.
Great question! You can use the same niche as someone else, you just cant use the same designs. As long as you are creating your own designs, and not copying someone else, you shouldn't have any issues at all. I hope that helps!
Thank you so much for that.@@GregGottfried I sincerely appreciate it.
Can we make shirts with sports team colors or logos but add my own captions along with it?
How do we search Teespring for words or phrases that we want to put on our designs that have not already been done by someone else?
I am planning to start Print on Demand business soon. Like the photos they bring, or the photos taken by me and edit them using photoshop and sell them.
For example, my customers are fans of Bob Marley, I will be using different images of Bob Marley and will edit them and print them on T-shirts and sell them. Example a customer shaking hands with Bob Marley And I will print such photos on Tshirt or mugs as per the customers demand.
Is it safe to do this if the customers sign the form to give me the permission to make such photos as per their demand and print them on their Tshirts?
Hello I posted a bmw logo and teespring let it slide do you think I’ll be okay?
I'd remove it before they do.. If they remove it, they will also lower your trust score. To remove it, got to dashboard, edit icon next to the listing, then end immediately.
Can I use google images along with my own design?
Can you do fan for like video games or movies on Teespring. It's there copyright to just fan art?
That's a great question! I don't know the answer to that one! It's a tough one because if you create it yourself, it's original work (so you own the copyright). However, if it looks like a copy of someone else's work that's trademarked, they are protected by their trademark! I'd shoot Teespring a message at campaigns@teespring.com or live chat on the website to get a better answer than mine. Hope that helps!
@@GregGottfried thank you for the help
So, are fan art allowed? Also, are game screenshots from online multiplayer games allowed?
I'm selling football related merchandise. I am creating shirts with colors are similar to the team colors but I'm not using the team names or their slogans. Example I have a Green Bay Packers themed shirt that says "beer, brats, cheese and green bay" would that be considered copyright infringement?
ok so two scenarios:
1.- Suppose I design a T-shit using an Ice Cream image from PlaceIt with my PAID subscription and upload my design to Teespring, what if someone already uploaded a design using the exact same Ice cream image as mine but with a completely diferent quote and a diferent general idea, am I in trouble or is this allowed?
2.- Am I allowed to grab the exact same quote that I might have seen on a T-shirt that I found around and use it to create a completely different design around that quote or is that not allowed too?
Thanks in advance
greg, is not answering for many of these question. i don.t knw why ?.
Any answer of this question?
Can I copy others Teespring design??
And Can I post Celebrities pics design in teespring??
So if I just make phone cases of pinctures from pinterest about a manga, that is copy righting? And what are the consequenses of that?
Do you think it's okay to find images on Google but have my own original words like I use the picture of roses that I found on Google can I get in trouble by the person that took that picture
How I do know if someone has stolen my design in teespring
Great video! Just a queston, can i for example take 2d watermelon and make my own quote and sell that?