Copyright is Bumper Stickers same as Decals ?

[JessXEmoji 46]

I notice some copyrighted stuff I search will be for bumper stickers but not decals....then some will say bumper stickers and decals making me think they are two seperate marks?  Are they?

[MZ SKEETER 4,708]

where are you searching? 

 

here is a good place

 

http://www.copyright.gov/records/

[Jay2703 704]

No, a copyright is a copyright for the design, no matter what it's used on.

[JessXEmoji 46]

maybe i mean a trademark?  i just talking about words not designs.

[JessXEmoji 46]

Example I was looking into using the words Dirty Girl but the bold part confused me.

 

IC 016. US 002 005 022 023 029 037 038 050. G & S: printed matter, namely, posters, stickers, bumper stickers, vinyl static cling sheets for affixation in windows and windshields, photo albums and magnets, sold in connection with competitions in the nature of obstacle course runs. FIRST USE: 20110129. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20110129

[Wildgoose 4,200]

The usual rule of thumb is, if in doubt, throw i out. Doesn't mean that the bumper sticker guy didn't already infringe to start with. 

[Jay2703 704]

We had a restaraunt here in town called Sonic Burrito. No affiliation to the national Sonic Drive In chain . When Sonic Drive In opened a store here they filed suit against Sonic Burrito because they own the rights to the word Sonic in the food chain business. Sonic Burrito had to change their name.  Now I could open a business not related to food and use the word Sonic in the name and Sonic Drive In couldn't do anything. I believe this is a trademark and not a copyright case.

[OWJones 1,981]

 FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20110129

 

That's the dead give-away that this is Trademark and not copyright.  Trademark deals with commerce and preventing consumer confusion.   Trademarks expire much faster than copyright and must be constantly renewed.

 

As Jay2703 explained, trademarks apply to specific markets and merchandise and as such they must be called out in their trademark description (i.e., the "printed matter, namely, posters, stickers, bumper stickers, vinyl static cling sheets for affixation in windows and windshields, photo albums and magnets" part of your post.

 

It is always best to avoid intentionally infringing copyright and/or trademarks.  It's bad enough when you do it by accident, but willful infringement (and by going online and asking you've already publicly admitted that you aren't 100% certain or are completely ignorant of the trademark status) is much, much worse for you and the financial costs go up by a factor of 10x...

[JessXEmoji 46]

So because Fear This decals are trademarked...nobody can make a decal with the word Fear in it?

[Jay2703 704]

So because Fear This decals are trademarked...nobody can make a decal with the word Fear in it?

You could make one with the word "Fear" in it but not the words "Fear This" together.