Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Maryland

selling copies of outdated posters - is there a copyright issue?

i have a poster set that is worth a good amount (say to sell on ebay). The company that produced this poster set is still around, but the advertising campaign it represents is long over. copies of these poster will sell just as well...so i want to know if it is legal? what if i change it...like make the copies bigger or smaller? and if i get permission from the company itself, would it be ok?

thanks!


Asked on 5/26/05, 2:37 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Lawrence Holzman Holzman Law Firm, LLC

Re: selling copies of outdated posters - is there a copyright issue?

The original posters are almost certainly protected by copyrights. As such, you are probably going to violate the copyrights if you make copies of the material and then sell them. It would be no different than copying a c.d. or a movie.

If you would like information about how to purchase a license or otherwise acquire the right to use the material so that you can make copies and sell them, feel free to give me a ring at your convenience. I would be happy to chat briefly about negotiating such deals.

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Answered on 5/26/05, 3:03 pm


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