I also wanted to mention that if you contact the legal departments to most places, they'll give you limited permission to use the logo a certain number of times per year. I keep a folder with written permission from a bunch of colleges and NFL teams that gives me permission to use their logos and mascots a certain number of times per year before a paid licensing agreement has to be put in place. Most people are so happy that you're actually trying to do it the right way, they're willing to be helpful about it!

The limitations are that they don't usually want you to put photos of the cakes on your website or in your advertising.

I'm going to be doing a Jack Daniels bottle cake this month, and I called their legal department to find out what their policy is on cakes. They gave me limited permission to do it...You just need to ask.

I did, at one point years ago, contact Nickelodeon to ask them what their policy was, and I got back a "no-way no-how, no using characters period" reply. For that I'd guess that you would have to go the Decopac route.

Clearly varika, I have NOT had anyone "steal" from me, if anything when I have an idea I always share. I have always been that way my whole life. And I do believe I said if the cake was done in good taste. But since you brought up the flipping people off and cake.. What if you bought the Disney pan.. Made the cake at home but yet iced it so that mickey was flipping the bird. Now this cake was for your own family and not be sold but yea your own kids took pictures of the cake and its all over the internet.. Does Disney have a voice in the matter? 1 U Paid for the pan. 2 u Did NOT sell the cake. 3 it was made for your own family and they ate the cake.. You bought the pan do you have to follow their example on the cover and if so what if you change a color of Mickeys Gloves? Do you think Disney will balk about that?

I wonder if (edited for content) has the same copyright as Disney.. Because
I see plenty PLENTY of jokes about him with cartoon drawings.. Some of which are n the newspapers...Is it possible they asked the (edited for content) for permission to make fun of him*(edited for content) too for thaT matter* in their newspapers

Try searching on Devient art sometime for Disney you will be amazed at the pictures on there and how the artist has added their own touches but you can still see its Mickey Mouse and it even has his name in the titles.

Also what about the Airbrush stores??? I see them all the time with Disney and Spongbob I wonder if they asked for permission?


Good grief atleast with a cake you can eat the evidence. . lol..

Too bad CC no longer allows threads about stolen photos showing up on other websites because I would list every single one of them in this thread.

It's just too hypocritical that some folks, out of one side of their mouth, complain and rant and rave about one of THEIR cakes being used on another site or even about another caker who uses THEIR cake for inspiration and doesn't credit them with the idea.

And out of the other side of their mouth, they espouse that copying a Disney cake shouldn't be a bad thing because it's no big deal.

I think this is why this topic gets to be so frustrating to me .... because we deal with folks who think whatever is convenient to them, or however they want to do it at the moment, should be ok, no matter what. They don't understand the law, therefore it's ok to ignore the law.


It would be nice if they took a stand and stuck to it instead of wish-washing all over the place, depending on what they want to do at the moment.

And I'd also venture to guess that the folks who cite "what about all of these OTHER people who do it?" are also the same folks who tell their children "If everyone else was jumping off of a bridge, would you?" or telling their children, "I dont' care if everyone else is drinking beer in jr. high, it's still illegal for YOU to do it!"

Consistency. I'd just like to see consistency. It would be a nice change of pace on this topic.

Whoa, I hope everyone can accept my sincerest apologies. I'm gonna shyly pull out the newbie card on this one and say I'm sorry. I honestly didn't realize this would become such a heated discussion.

I've come to the conclusion that, besides all the laws and don't do this and don't do that, I think this topic is more of a moral decision.

True story: A couple of months ago, my 7 year old daughter saw something in Michaels that she liked. She decided that since she liked it, she should have it, and tried to steal it. Now, we never really talked to her about stealing, cuz we never had a problem with it. I had to sit down with her in the middle of the store and explain to her that, just because we like something, doesn't mean we can take it. I explained that we have to work for money to pay for it, because somebody else worked hard to make it.

My husband and I do our very best to "lead by example" for our girls. How can I, with good conscience tell my children not to steal when I do it myself? I think the makers of Disney worked really hard to create what they have, and they have a right to keep it to themselves, or request compensation for others to use it.

But thats just my opinion. Once again, my apologies for creating such a debateable topic.

Don't be sorry for bringing up the subject. This way others learn.

Mike

Here's my take.

We can't stop others from doing what is illegal, we can only stop ourselves from doing it.

Now that you know the law you have a choice, to follow it or not.

Trust me when I say, after years in this industry I've seen things happen to those that break the law be it running an illegal kitchen from their home, being caught using copyright images, stealing pictures from a website and claiming it as their work and not being able to delivery the same quality of decorating as the picture, talking up their wonderful cakes that taste like cardboard, animal hair in frostings, cigarette ashes on the decorated cake etc...

It's not a matter of if you will be caught, it's a matter of when you will be caught. If a big name corporation finds you be prepared to spend big name money defending yourself.

That's why I had my little copyright write up on the wall. The customer can scream at me for not making that special Tinkerbell cake her precious HAS to have to make her 3rd birthday perfect and how wrong it is of me to rob this child of her perfect birthday cake memory etc. I'd point to the sign and say "I follow the law, feel free to go to a bakery who doesn't because if they break this law, that means they are breaking even more. You better hope they don't break the health department codes too." They would get an odd look on their face and say "seriously"... my smart aleck reply "well if they will break a major law like copyright infringement who's to say they take any laws or codes on running a safe business in other areas."

I refuse to do anything with our University mascot on it for anyone outside of immediate family and VERY good friends (short list for this mascot) as a gift because I happen to live in Eugene, OR... where the UofO mascot is Donald Duck. The colors I'll match identically, and I'll even do the O, but the Duck... no way, no how, not now, not ever.