# how can i sell copyrighted material like sports starts/ ninja turtles.. etc



## mikedabomb22 (May 13, 2011)

Hello all,

I was wondering if it is possible to be able to create my own t-shirts using copyrighted material. I have been a huge ninja turtles fan all my life. I notice that Hot topic stores create new ninja turtle shirts, as well as nintendo licensed items and frequently change their shirt designs every other month.

Or I was wondering how to get copyrighted names. Such as AARON RODGERS LED MY FANTASY FOOTBALL TO VICTORY! (which he really did!)

I noticed a website named pro-world has shirts of aaron rodgers with a bighead on them, but they do not have the packers logos anywhere. How were they able to sell those shirts and not get in trouble?

Very very "green" to the t-shirt business and would like in clarification the step by step processing + fees on how this works.

Thanks very much to anyone who posts in this section with their tips.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

The material you are looking to use are actually trademarks, not copyrights. It may seem like a small detail, but it is actually rather significant.



mikedabomb22 said:


> I was wondering if it is possible to be able to create my own t-shirts using copyrighted material.


Yes, it is possible. But it requires a license to do it legally. Negotiating a license can be tricky and usually requires upfront licensing fees plus a royalty percentage based on your sales. You usually need to have established production and distribution capabilities to qualify for a license for a property of this size.



mikedabomb22 said:


> I notice that Hot topic stores create new ninja turtle shirts, as well as nintendo licensed items and frequently change their shirt designs every other month.


Hot Topic is licensed. Or they purchase through licensed distributors.



mikedabomb22 said:


> Or I was wondering how to get copyrighted names. Such as AARON RODGERS LED MY FANTASY FOOTBALL TO VICTORY! (which he really did!)


Using people's name and likeness without permission is a violation of their Right of Publicity. And in the case of using professional athletes, it violates trademarks and licensing agreements. You would need to negotiate a license with the NFL, NFLPA or directly with the player. NFL licenses run 100k per year.



mikedabomb22 said:


> I noticed a website named pro-world has shirts of aaron rodgers with a bighead on them, but they do not have the packers logos anywhere. How were they able to sell those shirts and not get in trouble?


They are licensed. Either through the NFL, NFLPA or the player.


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## mikedabomb22 (May 13, 2011)

Hi,

Thanks a lot for all the detailed information. I definitely don't think I would be able to gather all that cash if I were to start up a business.

I did have another question though. I see "mom and pop" places all the time selling shirts that are wwf- now wwe licensed shirts. How did they get the license to sell them? I can't see them being filthy rich as they only have a little stand in the mall. 

I really appreciated your response as it helps clear up a lot.


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## kimura-mma (Jul 26, 2008)

They probably purchase them through licensed distributors.

Or sometimes they purchase them as closeouts. For instance, when official WWE vendors want to unload inventory that has been sitting around a while, small shops are able to get their hands on it at a nice discount.

Or they are illegal knockoffs. It's hard to tell for sure.


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