Legal Question in Intellectual Property in Massachusetts
Copyright, and Intellectual Properties Laws
I am interested in making a costume that is based on a game, Warhammer 40,000.
This costume would be made by myself and a few friends and made for limited consumtion amongst them,
I was told by a friend that Games Workshop (the company that makes said game) is very jealous of their IP and would stomp me down for making these.
I was wondering is this illegal to make them, Since I know full well that George Lucas is very jealous of his IP yet Fan Made & for sale Starwars costumes are widely available,
Any Help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Copyright, and Intellectual Properties Laws
If you know you will be violating a copyright, you should avoid making the costumes for sale, regardless of how George Lucas might accept it as "advertising."
It is always best to contact the owner of the copyright first and negotiate. You may find it quite reasonable, given the inherent advertising value of the costume when worn.