If you're planning on selling Disney products or characters, you must obtain an official license from the Walt Disney Company. This means that your product must be expressly authorized by the company to be sold legally; without this authorization, you may face hefty fines and other legal consequences.

Can I make Disney characters and sell them?

Right of Resale

Copyright and trademark law says that you can't make Disney items without a license. However, buying items, then reselling them is legal under the first-sale doctrine – you don't need anyone's permission.

Can I print Disney characters?

In order to use the characters legally, you must request permission from Disney Enterprises. Multiple corporate entities of Disney own many of the intellectual property rights of Disney characters. To learn more about which Disney entity owns the character you want to use, visit the Disney website.

How do I get permission to use Disney characters?

Who do I contact to request permission to use Disney intellectual property for non-commercial uses such as hand-made artwork, clothing, themed private parties, student projects, stage shows, etc.? These requests are handled by the Disney Legal Department on behalf of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

What Disney characters are copyright free?

Selling Fan Art the LEGAL Way

What characters is Disney losing rights to?

According to US copyright law, the rights for a character expire 95 years after the publication of the original work. Disney will lose the Mickey Mouse copyright for Steamboat Willie in 2024, since the short animated film was produced and distributed in 1928.

Does Disney sue for copyright?

In addition to decades of entertaining kids and adults alike, Disney has also been known as a fierce defender of its intellectual property rights, filing many lawsuits against companies and individuals for copyright and trademark violations over the years.

How much does it cost to license a Disney character?

From what I have read the licenses start at around $10,000 for each item you want to make, plus a percentage of each sale.

Can I use Disney characters for non commercial use?

Disney is known for being very protective of their intellectual property, including their copyrighted characters, logos, and designs. If someone uses their copyrighted material without permission, it could be considered copyright infringement and result in legal action.

Can I put the word Disney on a shirt?

Using Disney trademarks (the words “Disney”, “Mickey Mouse” etc) anywhere in the listing (title, description and tags) is trademark infringement. It doesn't even matter what the item is or whether it uses any Disney characters.

Can I sell Disney Cricut projects?

Cricut doesn't have the authority to waive copyrights to images they don't themselves own. Disney, for example, does not allow one to sell items made using their images. They're only meant to be used for personal projects.

Can I print Disney characters on tshirt?

When creating a t-shirt design, you cannot use images, characters, and any figure that resembles anything taken from comic books, cartoon networks, movies, video games, and television shows.

What is an example of copyright infringement with Disney?

Some common examples of Disney copyright infringement include: Fan art and merchandise: Creating and selling fan art or merchandise featuring Disney characters without proper licensing can be considered copyright infringement.

Can I crochet Disney characters and sell them?

Designing and Selling Copyrighted Products

Don't do it. (Caveat: it's OK to design a Disney character pattern for personal use. It's not OK to profit from it) Additionally, if you purchase a licensed pattern…you've seen them at Barnes and Noble, right, the mini Star Wars patterns and such…

Can I legally sell Disney fan art?

Technically speaking, there's nothing illegal in the US about making and selling fan art because copyright isn't enforced criminally. Rather, copyright owners enforce their rights by suing infringers in federal civil court. If they win, they could get money from you.

Is it illegal to sell Disney fanart?

The only approach to legally selling fan art is to obtain permission from the original artist. Some may use the Fair Use Doctrine as justification for the infringement.

Does Disney go after Etsy sellers?

The Walt Disney Company takes intellectual property rights incredibly seriously. As such, the company diligently goes after sellers who sell their products without permission(licenses). If you're caught selling counterfeit or unlicensed items, you could be subject to fines and other penalties.

Will Disney lose copyright to Mickey Mouse?

The copyright of the original Mickey Mouse character – as it appeared in “Steamboat Willie” – expires on January 1, 2024.

How do I get permission to use licensed characters?

How do I legally sell Disney items?

If you're planning on selling Disney products or characters, you must obtain an official license from the Walt Disney Company. This means that your product must be expressly authorized by the company to be sold legally; without this authorization, you may face hefty fines and other legal consequences.

How do I report copyright infringement to Disney?

We appreciate you taking the time to bring this matter to our attention. To report and provide information about a suspected infringement, please contact the anti-piracy team via the following: Email: [email protected].

Do you have to pay to take pictures with Disney characters?

If you want the photo you'll need to pay for it, of course, but there is absolutely no cost to have them take your picture. And they still are happy to take your picture with your own camera, if you ask, and there is NEVER any cost for that.

How does Etsy sellers get away with copyright infringement?

Etsy does not check every listing for copyright infringement; it is up to each business owner to understand intellectual property laws and follow them. In most cases, an Etsy seller will get caught for copyright infringement due to another Etsy shop owner or a copyright holder reporting them to Etsy.

Can you be sued for copyright infringement on Etsy?

While anyone can initiate a lawsuit, it may be difficult to sue an Etsy Seller. First, the lawsuit may not be profitable. In a standard copyright infringement lawsuit, the copyright holder can only receive the profit from the sales made by the seller.

Will Mickey Mouse ever be public domain?

The beloved mouse that is nearly a century old will soon enter public domain — the original Mickey Mouse's copyright expires in 2024. This anthropomorphic mouse is recognizable even by the silhouette of his ears and, in some ways, has been the face of The Walt Disney Co. since his 1928 creation.