Copyright and Trademark Basics

Although we are knowledgeable about certain legal issues, we are not lawyers. If you have any additional questions, we recommend doing additional research on your specific concerns or consulting a lawyer for more information.

When you start designing for your online business, you’ll undoubtedly come across confusing legal issues. “Can I use this picture for inspiration?” “How about a quote found on the internet?”

Copyright and trademark infringement can lead to hefty fines along with other penalties. Before you design and start marketing a design, here are four things you should know about copyright and trademark guidelines as they relate to your designs.

Why care about Intellectual Property?

There are several ways IP violations can affect you and your buyers.

• Violating IP law can put your Viralstyle account at risk of suspension.

• Buyers will be upset their order will be canceled on a violating campaign.

• Suspended designs waste your design and advertising spend.

• You can be liable to pay profits earned by selling trademarked and copyrighted material.

Create an original design

There are many reasons why you want to create products that have a unique look, but the most important reason is probably for your safety. When it comes down to copyright or trademark violations, there’s no denying these things can really mess with your business! If you come up with an original design you’ll stay protected from any potential consequences of violating someone’s intellectual property.

Copyright and trademark are not the same things

In short, trademarks are for terms, symbols, and names. A copyright is used for original creative works, like movies, books, paintings, songs, web content, and choreography. If you’re putting a company’s name on a product without permission, you’re violating their trademark. Song lyrics are a good example of a copyright violation. For more information about copyright and trademark, visit the United States Copyright Office and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (https://www.uspto.gov/).

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