Copyrighted material

[cmwyke 0]

Is there a way that anyone knows of to contact these companies (Disney, Harley, etc.) so that you could legally sell their decals? I'd imagine it's something as simple as paying them some kind of royalties, but who do you pay it to and where???

[MZ SKEETER 4,709]

you contact, their copyright legal team and apply for a license, if they are willing to put more licenses out there,  which can be as high as $50,000 or more and prove that you can sell a certain quota (millions of dollars) worth of product a year, and must maintain a quota. And when you are selling products from large companies like Harley products, you're purchasing the authorized licensed products from Harley and reselling them.  Not just making them on your cutter and saying they are are Harley, all designs bearing a Harley design would be preapproved thru the Harley Davidson company.

[rrc1962 0]

I'll add that HD won't even sell you the rights to reproduce their logo.  If you have a design that uses the logo, you have to get permission to use it, then it becomes an authorized HD product and must be purchased through HD.  HD may contract you to make the product but then it would be available to their entire dealer/distributor network, but if it's something unique and not already in their lineup, they would just turn you down and have the product made overseas anyway.  You would only be able to resell it if you are an authorized reseller/dealer.  Like Speed said, you can become a dealer, but the initial investment is upwards of $1,000,000 in most cases.

I suspect Disney may be similar.  These are huge companies who's business is recognized worldwide by their logo.  It is very difficult and very expensive to get permission to use their logo, if they will even grant it.  They will not grant permission to just print decals with their logo.  They offer these products already.

[jeremySI 18]

i dont think you want to even hear the price those two companies would charge you to use their trademarks, i can guarantee it is more than i will probably ever make selling decals in my life

[Rodger 527]

I have heard several horror stories from vendors that sell at flea markets . Small time flea markets at that . Harley Davidson got  involved & it was not pretty . Nothing really went far except the legal notices & threats . Personal use & friends is all I would dare to do with any copyrighted stuff . It seems a hit & miss type deal about getting caught . I have no use for the HD stuff because I am a Jap bike rider ( sport & roadrace stuff , I wish an American company would make something that would compete on equal terms ) . Funny thing is my wife worked for a Harley dealer for about 5 years & was in charge of the apparel etc . They make a ton of money ... The Annapolis store made 10 K + profit per week on the average ... WELL worth being proactive about defending copyright on a national level .

There is a thread here that was about a 95 cent decal costing the vendor a $1,000 lawyer bill . The legal result was never posted .

I think much depends on how brazen a person is & how judgement immune they are .