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I often see sentiments or phrases on cards that I like but think I could do that! It may be the actual words or the way it is set out. We all know that stealing images is wrong but I wonder if I would be wrong to use a sentiment I see on a card in a shop or on a stamp set if I re-created it in a computer program? It would obviously never be exactly the same. I only make cards for personal use so I think it would be ok?
If you take it off of a card, it's probably covered by copyright, and stamps are copyrighted too. I would suggest checking with Mo Manning of Mo's Digital Pencil. She has a website about copyrighting, but I'll be darned if I know the address.
__________________ Well behaved women rarely make history.
One way to check is to type the saying into google and see what comes up. Often we will see a sentiment and then under it in small print is the author or in simpler language the person who said it. I often see ones from Helen Keller, Mother Teresa etc. if I am looking for a particular saying and which company has produced it I will type in the sentiment to see if I can find it.
There will always be people who feel you cannot use something that is produced as a rubber stamp but I dont think anyone could actually do much as words are words, UNLESS you do an exact copy of their sentiment, font and layout, or take a saying that was unique to this company and copyrighted, then that would be a different matter.
Recently the trend is 'you make me happy when skies are gray' and I have seen that in so many stamp sets, digitals and cutting files.
Quotes, phrases etc. can't be copyrighted in general. What the stamp company has a copyright for is their IMAGE containing those words. So if you're typing "You rock" into Microsoft Word and that happens to be on 80 billion rubber stamps, you're fine . If you scanned/reproduced their image of that phrase/quote, whatever, you'd be violating their copyright. The reason they are able to use and sell the image with those words is precisely because they are not copyright-able - otherwise they couldn't make a stamp with a Mother Theresa quote, etc.
If I use a poem or quote from someone famous (say like on a sympathy card,) I will put that person's name under my quote.
I would think if you don't sell your cards, but use them for personal use only (like you do copyright stamps) you should be fine, but that is just my opinion.
Recently the trend is 'you make me happy when skies are gray' and I have seen that in so many stamp sets, digitals and cutting files.
That is also in a song that people sing!! So I would think putting that on a card would be fine. But you can always write on the back of the card "Lyrics by Oliver Hood".
You cannot copyright words, only the style. So you can take a quote or phrase, type it up in any font you wish, and be fine. You would have an issue if you used exactly the same font, type size and layout as someones stamp. As understand Blue says- that is effectively their image you are duplicating.
Wasn't there some legal fuss over someone trying to copyright the phrase: "Keep calm & carry on"? I remember when Stampin Up withdrew their Salebration or hostess (I don't remember which) stamp set with this phrase several years ago & people were trying to sell the set for over $500.00 because they thought it would be oh so rare. I never heard the outcome of the dispute, but it must have been resolved because the "Keep Calm" phrase is on stamps all over the place now.
Yes, or someone would really be raking in the dough over "Happy Birthday!"
Actually, that's why restaurants have their silly little ditties instead of singing Happy Birthday. Unless something has changed in the 7 years since that page was updated, Happy Birthday is still under copyright.
Wasn't there some legal fuss over someone trying to copyright the phrase: "Keep calm & carry on"? I remember when Stampin Up withdrew their Salebration or hostess (I don't remember which) stamp set with this phrase several years ago & people were trying to sell the set for over $500.00 because they thought it would be oh so rare. I never heard the outcome of the dispute, but it must have been resolved because the "Keep Calm" phrase is on stamps all over the place now.
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Actually, the copyright is apparently enforced in the EU... assuming the Wiki info's correct:
"In August 2011, it was reported a UK-based company called Keep Calm and Carry On Ltd had registered the slogan as a community trade mark in the EU, after failing to obtain registration of the slogan as a trademark in the United Kingdom. They issued a take-down request against a seller of Keep Calm and Carry On products.[unreliable source?] Questions have been raised as to whether the registration could be challenged, as the slogan had been widely used before registration and is not recognisable as indicating trade origin. An application has been submitted by British intellectual property advisor and UK trademarking service Trade Mark Direct, to cancel the registration on the grounds that the words are too widely used for one person to own the exclusive rights but the request for cancellation was rejected and the trade mark is still protected in all EU countries. The company is now trying to register the slogan as its trademark in both the United States and Canada."
Actually, that's why restaurants have their silly little ditties instead of singing Happy Birthday. Unless something has changed in the 7 years since that page was updated, Happy Birthday is still under copyright.
Quotes, phrases etc. can't be copyrighted in general. What the stamp company has a copyright for is their IMAGE containing those words. So if you're typing "You rock" into Microsoft Word and that happens to be on 80 billion rubber stamps, you're fine . If you scanned/reproduced their image of that phrase/quote, whatever, you'd be violating their copyright. The reason they are able to use and sell the image with those words is precisely because they are not copyright-able - otherwise they couldn't make a stamp with a Mother Theresa quote, etc.
Off Topic: Lydia I just looked at your SU store web site and it says you have stamping classes at 12:00 AM ( at Midnight?) and at 9:30 AM
It that correct or is it a typo ?
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
Copyright on sentiments?
