{"id":16408,"date":"2017-11-06T06:49:21","date_gmt":"2017-11-06T10:49:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/?p=16408"},"modified":"2025-10-01T15:20:04","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T19:20:04","slug":"copyright-basics-t-shirt-design-dos-donts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/06\/copyright-basics-t-shirt-design-dos-donts\/","title":{"rendered":"Copyright Basics for T-Shirt Design"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class='wp-caption align sprd-caption'>\n<div class='wp-caption-inner'><picture><img src='' alt=''\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class='wp-caption align sprd-caption'>\n<div class='wp-caption-inner'><picture><img src='' alt=''\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Selling designs and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/\">opening your own shop<\/a> is easier than ever thanks to print on-demand. But with the freedom to create and sell in such an efficient way, potential legal risks might arise.<\/p>\n<p>Most shop owners have presumably heard of copyright laws, but many might uninformed about what these laws entail. So, how can you be completely sure you\u2019re not going to end up in the middle of a legal disaster and make designs your audience will love?<\/p>\n<p>Here at Spreadshop, we&#8217;ve got you covered. We\u2019ll jump into the most important copyright FAQs that will allow you to continue designing without any legal worries!<\/p>\n<div class='wp-caption alignnone sprd-caption'>\n<div class='wp-caption-inner'><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/images.spreadshop.com\/images\/f_auto,q_auto\/v1509964486\/blog\/Copyright_basics_for_T-Shirt_Design_kabqc3\/Copyright_basics_for_T-Shirt_Design_kabqc3.jpg?_i=AA\" media=\"(max-width: 639px)\"\/><img width=\"1400\" height=\"800\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHdpZHRoPSIxNDAwIiBoZWlnaHQ9IjgwMCI+PHJlY3Qgd2lkdGg9IjEwMCUiIGhlaWdodD0iMTAwJSI+PGFuaW1hdGUgYXR0cmlidXRlTmFtZT0iZmlsbCIgdmFsdWVzPSJyZ2JhKDE1MywxNTMsMTUzLDAuNSk7cmdiYSgxNTMsMTUzLDE1MywwLjEpO3JnYmEoMTUzLDE1MywxNTMsMC41KSIgZHVyPSIycyIgcmVwZWF0Q291bnQ9ImluZGVmaW5pdGUiIC8+PC9yZWN0Pjwvc3ZnPg==\" alt=\"Copyright basics for designers\" data-public-id=\"blog\/Copyright_basics_for_T-Shirt_Design_kabqc3.jpg\" class=\"wp-post-16408 wp-image-16410\" data-format=\"jpg\" data-transformations=\"f_auto,q_auto\" data-version=\"1509964486\" data-size=\"1400 800\" data-delivery=\"upload\" onload=\";window.CLDBind?CLDBind(this):null;\" data-cloudinary=\"lazy\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2>What Does Copyright Mean?<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the obvious question: what exactly is copyright?\u00a0 To give a broad, technical definition, it\u2019s the proprietorship of a specific piece work; the proprietor(s) owns the right to distribute, commercialize, replicate and profit from it in any other way.<\/p>\n<p>In short, if a design is copyrighted, you shouldn&#8217;t start selling it or something similar in your shop. Only the owner of that exclusive design has the authorization to monetize it. This doesn\u2019t just go for t-shirt designs either. Any written, visual, or even verbal content, has the potential to fall under the copyright law.<\/p>\n<p>Now, if you love a design that\u2019s proprietary, you don\u2019t need to trash the idea completely. Use the copyrighted design as inspiration to come up with an even better concept for your shop!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Off-limits Designs<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Logos<\/strong> of sports teams, schools and universities, organizations, clubs, movies, books, games, and bands.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pictures or artwork<\/strong> of sports teams, schools and universities, organizations, clubs, movies, books, games, and bands.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Characters<\/strong> from movies, books, comics, and television shows.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Viral Content <\/strong>such a memes and YouTube videos.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Images found on search engines <\/strong>or any other image that is not listed for commercial use.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Trademark companies<\/strong> and their logos, names, and content.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Celebrities <\/strong>exploited in any way, even if it&#8217;s original content.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It seems like there\u2019s so many limitations when you\u2019re simply trying to come up with a design for your shop. Don\u2019t let these limitations hold you back. There is still plenty of room for creative opportunity. You just need to think outside of the box!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Designs can I Legally Use<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While certain designs are off-limits, there are countless designs that are available for commercial use as well. We recommend using any of the following methods when designing gear for your Shop.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Royalty free <\/strong>images that are for commercial use<\/li>\n<li><strong>Public Domain <\/strong>images<\/li>\n<li><strong>Your original designs<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What is the Public Domain? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The public domain is a collection of creative material that is not protected under the copyright law. Everything is available for public use. Content existing in the public domain is either donated content, expired copyright content, or content that has been forfeited in some way. There are thousands of great t-shirt design ideas within the public domain. If you have an idea that you want to bring to life, start looking there!<\/p>\n<p>Although the public domain is a helpful resource, all public content has the potential to become copyrighted. \u00a0Yes, everything is fair-game, but that doesn\u2019t mean content can\u2019t become copyrighted down the road. It\u2019s unlikely that one of your Shop&#8217;s public domain t-shirt designs will suddenly fall under the copyright law, but it\u2019s important to be aware of the possibility.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How can I check to see if something is copyrighted online? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>You found the perfect graphic for your Shop, but you\u2019re not sure if it\u2019s copyrighted. How do you know what to do? Here are a few simple tricks to help determine whether an image falls under the copyright law.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Look for the signs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>There is the \u00a9 symbol. The copyright symbol is usually tiny and located somewhere around the perimeter of an image or graphic.<\/li>\n<li>There is a watermark.<\/li>\n<li>There is a note representing ownership sourcing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Do a little research<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Visit the copyright office to browse through copyrighted files.<\/li>\n<li>Check an image copyright online. Perform a reverse image search to reveal the original source of an image.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The obvious<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>It\u2019s not yours and you didn\u2019t create it.<\/li>\n<li>Just ask! The best way to get copyright information is from the source itself.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It\u2019s also helpful to be informed on how fair-use is assessed. Each copyright license is different, so it\u2019s important to consider the restrictions and guidelines that follow. Just remember, until you\u2019re certain an image isn\u2019t copyrighted, don\u2019t take the risk of adding it to your Shop.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Are quotes protected by copyright? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>People are attracted to quotes and sayings because they affect us on an emotional level. That\u2019s why t-shirt designs with quotes are often top sellers among those with Shops. Quotes are free to be used commercially when you think of them yourself. However, things get a bit tricky when using quotes from copyrighted pieces of work.<\/p>\n<p>We don\u2019t want to bore you with the complicated legal details, so we\u2019ve put together a list of do\u2019s and don\u2019ts for t-shirt quotes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Do Quote:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Anything from the public domain<\/li>\n<li>Authors who have been dead for over 70 years<\/li>\n<li>Common sayings<\/li>\n<li>Sayings that are too short to be protected by the copyright law<\/li>\n<li>Parodies<\/li>\n<li>Your own thoughts and sayings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Don\u2019t Quote <\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Anything from a living author<\/li>\n<li>Anything from an author who&#8217;s been deceased for less than 70 years<\/li>\n<li>Trademarked material<\/li>\n<li>Corporate slogans<\/li>\n<li>Scripted or literary works of art<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>How to copyright a design for t-shirts<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Shop owners automatically maintain the rights to any designs submitted to the Spreadshop platform. Once your design is available for purchase, you&#8217;re not required to do anything further for ownership. However, there are many advantages to copyrighting your t-shirt designs though the copyright office. \u00a0You\u2019ll not only have a public record of proprietorship, but it will also confirm the copyright source to anyone seeking to purchase your design.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve a copyright for a t-shirt design, an application and fee will need to be submitted to the copyright office. This can be done electronically or through mail.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>How much does it cost to copyright a design? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Electronic US copyright registration currently costs $35 (fees are subject change). This fee consists of one form and doesn\u2019t require any lawyers. The current forms can be found on the US Copyright website, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.copyright.gov\/\">www.copyright.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>In Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Copyright laws may seem like a lot to take in, but it\u2019s important to know the basics. Don\u2019t let the thought of legal matters keep you from expressing your ideas. As long as you\u2019re creating something new for your Spreadshop, then only good things will follow!<\/p>\n<p><em>Did you know, you can make money with that creativity of yours? See how you can monetize your designs by opening a FREE Spreadshop today!<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"><a id=\"link2SSP\" class=\"standard-btn mermaid-btn\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Open your own shop<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Most creators have heard of copyright laws or have general ideas of what they are. Truth is, more commonly than not, designers are in the dark about what these laws actually entail. So, how can you be completely sure you\u2019re not going to end up in the middle of a legal disaster? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/06\/copyright-basics-t-shirt-design-dos-donts\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":699,"featured_media":16410,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"publish_to_discourse":"0","publish_post_category":"1","wpdc_auto_publish_overridden":"","wpdc_topic_tags":"","wpdc_pin_topic":"","wpdc_pin_until":"","discourse_post_id":"","discourse_permalink":"","wpdc_publishing_response":"","wpdc_publishing_error":"","_cloudinary_featured_overwrite":false},"categories":[45872,18625],"tags":[45873,18621,30554],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v19.7.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Copyright Basics for T-Shirt Design - The Spreadshop Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You created a beautiful design and want to sell it on t-shirts and other products. Find out how to copyright a t-shirt design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spreadshop.com\/blog\/2017\/11\/06\/copyright-basics-t-shirt-design-dos-donts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Copyright Basics for T-Shirt Design\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You created a beautiful design and want to sell it on t-shirts and other products. 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