# Ownership / rights to slogans, etc...



## mynxee (Jul 13, 2009)

I'm a little confused when it comes to rights to use slogans on t-shirts. 

I've seen some popular online t-shirt companies using the same slogans on their shirts... are slogans not protected?

Say I make up a funny slogan and print it. What prevents another company from printing the same shirt? Do I have to register it? And can I use slogans of other companies if I like them? Specific designs I would think are different, but are slogans free for all?

Pardon me if this has been answered. I didn't see it in my search 

Thanks guys!

Leslie D.


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## Solmu (Aug 15, 2005)

These are definitely questions that should be answered by a qualified legal professional, and not forum speculators such as ourselves.

To give you some *general* information, copyright does not protect "Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans". However these things can sometimes be protected by a trademark. If the short phrase or slogan is excerpted from a larger work it also *may* (but may not) be protected by copyright.

In some cases a funny slogan on a t-shirt would be protected, and in some cases it would not.

See also, http://www.t-shirtforums.com/general-t-shirt-selling-discussion/t84717.html

But most importantly, when seeking information on what is and isn't legal, either consult primary sources (such as U.S. Copyright Office) and draw your own conclusions, or consult a professional who is employed to interpret those sources for you (i.e. an attorney or similar).


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