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/biz/ - Business & Finance

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1180489 No.1180489 [Reply] [Original]

Are memes copyrighted? Can they be used for commercial purpose? Let's say I started printing pepe mugs and selling them, would that be wrong? I own a small Tshirt and mug printing company and some people asked if I could print/sell memes. I mostly outsource stuff I put on my tshirts so I rarely use existing stuff.

>> No.1180490

>>1180489

you'd know after you get a lawsuit and then the judge makes a decision. I have no idea but I think these are uncharted waters, juristically.

>> No.1180491

on that scale i doubt it ud get into any trouble

>> No.1180499

How about outsourcing to someone to draw the meme (polandball or something) in their own style. rather than simply slapping it on a mug/shirt?

>> No.1180503
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1180503

Memes like pepes are appropriation of the original, and by printing them on a mug it could be argued you are further appropriating, but it's doubtul a content creator would a. find your products AND b. have the resources and will to prosecute on such a shaky premise. You're pretty safe OP.

>> No.1180513

>>1180503
What about countryballs? Would redrawing them in a bit different style be enough? I ask about them since they are a comic character and not just a meme that gets altered once per day.

>> No.1180516

fortunately for you i don't think anyone would be cringy enough to copyright a meme

>> No.1180804

>>1180489
http://kotaku.com/the-maker-of-the-trollface-meme-is-counting-his-money-1696228810

>> No.1180811
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1180811

>>1180489
>Let's say I started printing pepe mugs and selling them

You would make Matt rich once he finds out.
(the guy who invented Pepe)

>> No.1180898

>>1180516
>>1180804
Kek

>> No.1180910

>>1180489

Its widely known and accepted that you did not create what you're attempting to copyright unless you can prove you were the first person to post the meme. But you'd have to be able to prove it was you.

Thats the one thing Moot might have been able to do with this shithole, is copyright memes.

>> No.1180924
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1180924

people have been selling meme merchandise for years

>> No.1180931

>>1180924
People have been killing people for years too. Still doesn't make it right.

>> No.1180939

>>1180931
the issue is whether you'll get punished and as far as I know selling dank memes isn't against the law

>> No.1181910

The jordan crying face meme is different

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/03/31/472330783/the-evolution-of-the-michael-jordan-crying-face-meme

A couple paragraphs from the bottom is when it talks about the copyright part of the image.

>> No.1182066
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1182066

Damn this is a much greyer area than I thought.

>> No.1182088

>>1180513
For a starter it'd help if you knew they're called poland balls. And they were created by some guy on /int/ on krautchan. I highly doubt you'd get into trouble for it, but as the other poster said, they're uncharted waters.

>> No.1182099
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1182099

>>1180516
this