"Rulebooks and T-shirts" Topic

If you own a company's rulebook, and you scan in the image of the front cover, make a T-shirt transfer, and create a T-shirt with the rulebook cover on it – are you in violation of copyright?

What if you own the rulebook on PDF (with presumed permission to print it out) – does that allow printing as a T-shirt transfer, too?

no and no. If you are making a T-shirt for yourself you will get away with it more n likely. If its for sale you may find you owe the infringed company a bunch of money when they take you to court.

no as in you cant do it

"Copyright" means "the right to make a copy". Making one would fall under "fair use".

Like Scurvy says, you can't sell it.

Copyright is a civil matter, so to proect their copyright, they would have to sue you about the tee shirt, and if you made only one, it would be very difficult to prove damages.

I also give medical advice for free on TMP.

Permission to copy for personal use in intellectual property law is nearly always restricted for use "as intended," in this case to play the game. All other rights are restricted. Even when not expressly stated, that is also how corporate attorneys and the courts in the US see it.

I agree that would be violating copyright as it is not fair use to copy an image for other than its intended use or for profit.

charonproductions.com

I would say it is not allowed without permission of the copyright holder. I can't see how most smaller publishers wouldn't want the promotion though.

So, it would be wise to ask, first.

Probably, as said before if it's a one off design for "personal use" I don't believe there would be a problem. If it's just the straight artwork with no slogans or embellishments you shouldn't have any problems. However if there are any such "additions" I would make sure to let the company know in advance.

Since we are on the subject, when will you be coming out with a line of TMP T-shirts Bill?

…when will you be coming out with a line of TMP T-shirts Bill?

I wonder where I can find a "red-haired Goth chick" model?

If I was ever compelled to make a t-shirt with the image of the front cover of a rulebook on it and the owner of the game/image had a go at me about it, I'd stop playing the game immediately and ridicule the person complaining (as they would have to be a turd of the highest order to give two s about it).

I took a writer's copyright class, some years ago, here in the States. The teacher, a published author, stated that we could, as copyright holders, sell any rights to our works that we wanted: first publishing rights in Mower County/North America (gets into treaty rights with other nations), first publishing rights in the City of Austin/State of Minnesota/USA, first T-shirt rights in the State of Minnesota/Wisconsin/Iowa; etc. In other words, you can restrict the publishing rights as much, or as little, as you want to, as long as the buyer is willing to pay for his limited rights, and they don't mind that you have previously sold publishing/printing rights to others. Cheers!

Copyright infringement, THAT is why people look at me funny when I wear my homemade Panty Explosion T-shirt.

Well duh, it all makes sense now.

As Sgt Slag was, I think, trying to indicate, the publisher may not have full rights to the artwork. For example, simply having the right to publish it as part of the rules book does not give the right to make T-shirts. Remember the AH PanzerBlitz T-shirt? That was a separate contract with the artist.

So check with the publisher, and be prepared to directed to the artist.