question about keycaps with game icons

[edujackass]

Hey, rather simple question. As i saw the keycaps with portal icons I was wondering if there are trademark related problems with producing key caps like that.
I was thinking about setting up a small webshop and selling specifically designed keycaps with gaming icons. Is it forbidden by law to do so?
thanks

[AGmurdercore]

I guess the company that owns the trade mark can make some problems for that but i have no information on a case like this about key caps.

[reverkiller]

SP won't make SC2 keycaps, for example, for fear of copyright infringement. YMMV.

[edujackass]

ah i was so excited about this idea..

[kmiller8]

You can always get your caps made in china where copyright isn't an issue. However they can only do PBT dyesubs, while SP has the capabilities of dyesub and doubleshot.

[razorsharpgears]

And it doesn't have to be completely about games
So many good ideas out there,  why limit yourself to the gaming industry.

[edujackass]

but when i would be selling those copy righted caps from china, will a big company come to my house to take all my money!?

and my idea for gaming is golden.. i have thought about everything except this!! ><

[jeroplane]

Theoretically you could do it, but the question is whether you would want to run a business with the risk/possibility that a company could send you a cease & desist at any time and your whole operation would go bust, losing your capital and time, etc.

SP are a larger business who have many clients in other industries, and so they are not prepared to take the chance with producing copyrighted material because it would destroy their business (or at least cause considerable expense) if anything ever happened.

[edujackass]

my idea is more or less comparable with a key that has a minecraft face on it. Certain aspects of the game put on a keycap.

[jeroplane]

my idea is more or less comparable with a key that has a minecraft face on it. Certain aspects of the game put on a keycap.

There have been some of these made, and some are in the process. E.g. Creeper face, Minecraft icons, Starcraft logos, Dota logos and heroes, LoL hotkeys, Portal, Pacman, etc.

[IvanIvanovich]

There is 2 ways to go about using others copyrighted material. 1, don't care and take the gamble that they decide to sue you. 2, contact them and ask, explaining it is for promotional material. They will either tell you no, or say yes and possibly make some one time fee or arrangement about getting a certain percent of your profit in exchange for allowing it's use. That's called licensing.
Basically, see a lawyer for advice for your country if you're serious. If you're starting a buisiness it is a good idea for other reasons anyway.

[Lu_e]

I believe the Creeper key had permission from the creators, no?

[edujackass]

my idea is more or less comparable with a key that has a minecraft face on it. Certain aspects of the game put on a keycap.

There have been some of these made, and some are in the process. E.g. Creeper face, Minecraft icons, Starcraft logos, Dota logos and heroes, LoL hotkeys, Portal, Pacman, etc.

and did the designers get sue'd? because this was kinda what i was planning to do. I allready have a company registerd for something else but if there is not muh investation needed (i can do nearly all the work myself) i thought it might be a fun idea to put up a small webshop for gamerelated keycaps.

[jeroplane]

my idea is more or less comparable with a key that has a minecraft face on it. Certain aspects of the game put on a keycap.

There have been some of these made, and some are in the process. E.g. Creeper face, Minecraft icons, Starcraft logos, Dota logos and heroes, LoL hotkeys, Portal, Pacman, etc.

and did the designers get sue'd? because this was kinda what i was planning to do. I allready have a company registerd for something else but if there is not muh investation needed (i can do nearly all the work myself) i thought it might be a fun idea to put up a small webshop for gamerelated keycaps.

As far as I know, none have been sued. Although a lot of those have had their production based in China.

[linkz]

I guess it would depend on the country. U can pretty much do anything you want in developing countries and those big corporation won't even bother to sue you. Since in those countries the offender could pretty much bribe his way out of it and most officers won't bother helping those corporations.

Unless it is a gigantic scale production, then I imagined they will sue you.
In my country (Indonesia), I see Naruto backpack, even a Naruto printed rice sack.
I'm certain this is done illegally, lol.

[edujackass]

hahaha that rice sack is great! i think i will try to do this small scale and see how far it goes and as soon as i get angry mails from EA, Riot or Blizzard I'm shutting down and i don't know what they are talking about!

[JoeC]

If you are only doing it for personal use (a few pieces for self and friends, not mass production), then under US law it is most likely legal.  If you start trying to make it for profit, then you start infringing on copyright laws.
I can draw a copyrighted logo, and print it on about a dozen shirts for my friends and family, no big deal;  unless the company takes offense, or we use it for some political scheme, or if I sell it for profit, then I am in violation of copyright laws.
Personal use: usually ok
Profit: NONONO!!!!!

[file_id]

Just don't print any key caps with the apple logo or Steve jobs face and you'll be fine.

[razorsharpgears]

Just don't print any key caps with the apple logo or Steve jobs face and you'll be fine.

+1
Apple is Vicious...
(^And that is an extreme understatement)

[edujackass]

Just don't print any key caps with the apple logo or Steve jobs face and you'll be fine.

thank you for a short but clear answer! I think my idea will be nice but im currently busy with alot of other things so it will take some time + I have to find out prices and how the group buy thing is working.. As i do not have the cash to buy 100 sets of 4 keys for example. + i need to find out shipping costs from europe as im situated in the netherlands. + i need to get a decent looking webpage with a paypall button or something similar.