• Home
  • Contact
  • FAQs
    • What is Webcomics.com?
    • Member Benefits
    • How To Post an Article or News Item
    • How to Post a Webcomic on the List
    • How to Post a Comic
    • Terms of Service
  • Forums
  • WebComics List
  • Benefits
    • Print Vendors: Get multiple quotes
    • Banner stand: Discount
    • Consultation discount
    • “How To Make Webcomics” book: discount
    • “Webcomics Handbook”: discount
    • ALL benefits
  • My Account
    • Welcome
    • What is Webcomics.com?
    • My Subscription
    • Join us!
  • Account
  • Membership List
Twitter Email RSS

Webcomics.com

How To Make WebComics

Webcomics Handbook

‹ Friday Archive Dive: Letting Comedy Ferment ProTip: Gumroad discount codes ›

Legalities of Comic-convention fan art

This is a tremendous discussion of something that baffles me at every comic convention I attend: What are the legal parameters of selling art that features characters that you don’t have the proper licensing for?

Quick note: I keep seeing mistakes like this one in other sites that discuss this topic:*

It seemed to violate my understanding of copyright, but also everyone seems to be doing it.

Please don’t make this rookie mistake. Unless you’re talking about reproducing, say, a panel from a published comic, this isn’t a copyright issue. It’s an issue of trademark. Remember — copyright is the right to make a copy of a piece of art. If you draw a Captain America illustration, your issue is not one of copyright. Rather, you are entering the arena of trademark.

The content you are trying to access is only available to members.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
by Brad Guigar on July 7, 2014
Posted In: Business
└ Tags: comic conventions, copyright, legal, trademark
Comments available to logged in users only.



Recent comments

  • hpkomic on Managing commissions
  • Brad Guigar on Tweet and sour
  • Kulanah on Tweet and sour
  • Kulanah on Tweet and sour
  • Andrew Fraser on Tweet and sour

Search



Webcomics.com Poll

I design my comic specifically for smartphones and digital tablets.

  • Disagree (52%, 178 Votes)
  • Agree (48%, 166 Votes)

Total Voters: 344

Loading ... Loading ...
  • Polls Archive

Categories

  • Archive Dive
  • Articles
    • Advertising
    • Art
    • Business
    • Community
    • Conventions
    • Creativity
    • Crowdfunding
    • Digital publishing
    • Image prep
    • Lettering
    • Marketing / Social Media
    • Merchandise
    • Print publishing
    • Tech
    • Web site
      • Web Site Design
    • Writing
  • ComicLab
  • Edited and Ready
  • Events
  • Guest
  • Hot Seat critiques
  • Information
  • Interviews
  • Livestream Chat
  • Mail Bag
  • Member Benefits
  • Promos
  • Site News
  • Surviving Creativity
  • To-Do List
  • Uncategorized
  • Video
  • Webcomics Confidential
  • Webcomics Weekly
  • Webcomics.com Poll

Tags

ad revenue AdSense advertising Comic Easel comments composition contract copyright creativity exercise credit cards Crowdfunding digital lettering digital publishing Facebook holiday Humor IP KDP Kickstarter Kindle legal lettering line weight Longform comics Manga Studio merchandise NCS panels Patreon Promotion PulsePoint readers revenue SEO shipping social media Square taxes trademark Twitter typography Web design word balloons WordPress writing

Special Features

Just now, in the forum…

  • Navigation advice
  • Mixing First and Third Person Captions
  • Help with Toocheke
  • Label Printer for shipping
  • Patreon Merch

Recent Posts

  • Patreon Mistakes That Cost You Money
  • Pitfalls of paid advertising
  • ComicLab Ep 274 — Nobody does thumbnails
  • “Where should I post my comic?”
  • Using “house ads” to improve your revenue

Recent Replies

  • Brad Guigar on Navigation advice
  • Brad Guigar on Mixing First and Third Person Captions
  • Brad Guigar on Help with Toocheke
  • Brad Guigar on Label Printer for shipping
  • Andrew Fraser on Label Printer for shipping

Recent Topics

  • Navigation advice by KevinWayneW
  • Mixing First and Third Person Captions by jpactor
  • Help with Toocheke by Andrew Fraser
  • Label Printer for shipping by Andrew Fraser
  • Patreon Merch by Jaycee Knight

Recent Comments

  • hpkomic on Managing commissions
  • Brad Guigar on Tweet and sour
  • Kulanah on Tweet and sour
  • Kulanah on Tweet and sour
  • Andrew Fraser on Tweet and sour
  • My Subscription
  • Store
  • Terms of Service
  • Account
  • Membership List

©2007-2023 Webcomics.com | Powered by WordPress with ComicPress | Subscribe: RSS | Back to Top ↑