Page 1 of copyright query

I was just wondering if it`s legal to use companies brand names without their express permission, eg. could i use the Argos logo in a jokey way to make fun of chavs?If not, what if i slightly changed the name to Argus or something? How close is too close to the original?
i`d appreciate any help you lot can give.

Im fairly sure satire falls under fair use of copyright, so you could satirise it if you wanted (*discalimer* im not a solicitor).

But if you are thinking of a hilarious `Chavs buy their jewellery from Elizabeth Duke` pastiche, dont. Its old and busted.

Chavs are the new loadsamoney.

Thanks for the reply, so if something is satirical that gives it extra rights?
What if you used brand names or images on a commercially available product (say a T-shirt) for your own profit, would you still be the right side of the copyright law?

Don`t know the ins and outs, but i`d imagine you`d be safe as long as you aren`t benefiting financially from use of a company`s corporate identity.

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They kidnapped Santa? That does not rock!
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I wouldn`t say that using a trademark in satire, it give`s you extra rights.

I would think that as long as it doesn`t portray them in a negative light, it might slip under their radar\turn a blind eye to it.



I quite like the Helpdesk people in a benevolent (as opposed to malevolent) way as they do some valuable work in preventing us being inundated by every halfwit who can work a phone.

I would imagine that if you stand to financially benefit from using a copyrighted image, logo, piece of text, whatever, in any form then it would certainly not be allowed.

The people behind the ChavScum website seem to be getting away with it:
http://www.chavscum.co.uk/shop.php

Yes they do don`t they.
On a separate point, is there a way round the rules if you subtly, or not so subtly change the companies name and logo? eg. make Lidl- Lidls?

Those Sorts of shirts have been going on for years though haven`t they.

From childhood, I remember ppl wearing "Adihash" t-shirts with a hemp leaf designed to look like an Adidas logo, "Muckburgers" for MacDonalds spring to mind.

The band Pop Will Eat Itslef even had shirts which looked like Pepsi logos, but Pepsi replaced with PWEI.

Another band did a similar thing (or it may have been them even) but had to stop due to copright reasons.

I always assumed they were copright infingements, but it probably wasn`t worth Macdonalds` or Adidas` effort to track down every market stall where these were being sold.

I`d imagine it`s ok for say a magazine to do a characture joke advert, but not to then sell a t-shirt with same joke on it.

I`m guessing MacDonalds and Van Dutch etc would take a dim view on http://www.chavscum.co.uk/shop.php but then maybe they know that an article in the Sun about how clothes company etc is trying to sue a website will give them (McD etc) bad publicity and generate more shirt sales for Chavscum.com.

Al

www.admars.co.uk

This item was edited on Friday, 18th March 2005, 18:42

I seem to remember Viz comic (which did the "chav"/"charva" thing to death about 10-15 years ago) got in trouble over the character Kappa Slappa - they had to change the name.

Mike