I am opening a business in my home and i open hopefully in July. I have someone who wants me to make a cake for them after i open but they want a minnie mouse cake for there grand daughter. I was wondering about the coppy right laws. can I make a cake that is done with like poca dots and minnie colors and let them stick the minnie on top or can I get in trouble for that too. How does the law work what can I do and what can"t I? Any help would be appreciated.

Colors and polka dots are fine, you can't copyright those! Mouse ears, bows like she has with the ears, or anything that would identify it as Minnie specifically aren't.

beck30 - yes, you can make and sell the customer a cake with the colors and dots that resemble Minnie mouse and let the customer put a Minnie figurine on the cake when they get it home (that they purchased elsewhere).

thank you for helping me, I don't want to get in trouble. I'm working my tail off to open my business I don't want to do anything to compromise it.

beck30, I have a category on my site for licensed character cakes. When the customer clicks on it, they get an explanation of the law and their personal liability for trademark infringement. I offer the background cake for them to add figures. Other bakers will do the whole cake, but customers think twice about their choice when presented with the law. A picture of that cake will make it to the internet via someone's phone or camera, maybe not even by the customer buying the cake. Now the liability is there. This really does help when you are asked to do these cakes and sometimes it will stop them from going to another baker who will do the cake.