Copyright law is one of the laws to be mindful of when creating novelties. This article explains the points to be aware of regarding copyright.
Copyright refers to the legal rights granted to authors for the works they create. Since designs, logos, illustrations, and photographs are works protected by copyright, the authors who create them hold copyright. Additionally, works are protected by law, and in the case of corporations, failing to uphold copyright can result in fines of up to 100 million yen. To avoid heavy fines, it is important to be cautious about not violating copyright when producing novelties. There are three cases in which novelties may infringe on copyright: - Using illustrations of popular characters: Using illustrations or images of popular characters in product designs without obtaining permission from the author constitutes copyright infringement. - Using images of celebrities without permission: Using photographs of celebrities, such as entertainers or athletes, in designs without their consent constitutes a violation of their right of publicity. - Using photographs taken by others without permission: Since photographs are also considered works, using images taken by professional photographers in designs without permission is also a violation of copyright.
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Cases that do not infringe on copyright are mainly as follows: - When using goods solely for personal use Using a towel with an illustration of a popular character shared with family at home, or using a mug printed with a photo of a favorite celebrity at home, does not constitute copyright infringement. - When using with permission If you use something with permission from the author or the subject depicted in a photo, the likelihood of being questioned for copyright infringement is low. - When using an original character created by yourself Characters that you have conceived and drawn as original designs are owned by you, so you can freely use them for design purposes or for selling and distributing goods. Our company collaborates with carefully selected design firms, promotion companies, and branding companies to provide optimal planning and design tailored to our customers' needs and desires. Additionally, one of our strengths is that we handle everything from product planning to design, design, and production consistently. We will support you while sharing legal knowledge during the process of creating novelty items. If you are considering producing novelty goods, please take a look at our website.
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Koshioka Sangyo Co., Ltd. has been responding to various customer requests for over 50 years since its establishment, manufacturing products from parts to finished goods through made-to-order production. Leveraging that experience, we have now centralized the entire process from market research for "delightful products" starting with product creation, to planning/design, design, prototyping, production, and shipping. Our efforts have been well received by companies such as amusement parks and restaurant chains. Additionally, we have embarked on a novelty (MONOCOTO LAB) business to assist customers with their challenges, enhancing added value, defining their existence, and contributing to society. We are also focusing on design development and advancing our own product commercialization, which has been appreciated by companies in the entertainment industry and beyond.