Hey guys, a friend of mine just asked me to do an Elmo cake for her. Normally for something like this with such detail I would charge on the ups of $75. However, with her being a friend and knowing a bit about her financial situation, what do you think is an appropriate price?
I tried to post a picture, but I guess I'm unsure how. If somebody could tell me how, I have a picture of the cake she wants done.
I have a friends and family discount I give to my sister and VERY close friends. It's only 15%, and they get a standard invoice/bill that I would give any other customer listing the original cost of the cake and the 15% they are saving. Any more of a discount, and the cake starts to feel like a burden to me instead of an order. I'm OK with being out of some of my friend's price ranges. It's a lot easier to continue a friendship with someone who says no to your price than to continue a friendship with someone who you hold a small resentment against because you charged too little. As an alternative, can you barter with her - can she watch your kids, paint your living room, help clean out the garage, etc. that would add up to what you would have charged?
Quote by @ypierce82 on 9 hours ago
The appropriate price is 0.00 because you can not legally sell a character cake without permission.
Yep.
Anyone know if it's illegal to sell a character cake in Canada and what the legal reference is? I've done character cakes for friends, but I do want to start charging since they are hard work.
It's illegal to sell any copyrighted or trademarked character, logo, team logo, university logo or anything else that you didn't design and someone else holds the rights to unless you pay the owner a licensing fee. It doesn't matter where you are located.
An article that was given to me and was very helpful. Hope it helps you.
Copyright Infringement
What’s the deal with copyright infringement regarding Disney, Nickelodeon, etc.? I’m just a small home baker and it will kill my business if I can’t make fondant figures.
It’s
like a caking urban legend — the tale of the little home baker being served a
cease and desist order or being sued for making Elsa from Frozen. Does it
really happen? Can it happen? We’re all a bit confused about the truth behind
copyright infringement and the use of trademarked characters and brand logos.
What is OK? What can we safely do? What are the legal issues surrounding using
these images and likenesses? (See? So many questions!) This debate is HOT right
now in the caking community and there's a lot of misinformation out there.
Can you legally use a design (image, character, logo, etc.) in your cakes that
someone else created?” No. Not legally. I know. That was some tough love right
there. But I would be leading you astray if I told you to keep making Elsa
cakes in a cloud of powdered sugar bliss. The cold, hard fact is that the
creators of these works are protected in a number of ways by the law, and that
protection includes derivative works — cakes that have one or two details
tweaked so as not be exact replicas. Still an infringement. There are many
court cases documenting infringements, and in ways subtler than cake and cookie
creation.
“But!" you cry. "Cinderella was created way before Disney ever got
their money-grubbing hands on her, so she’s still fair game, right?” Let’s be
honest: Are you going to make a replica of Charles Perrault’s 1697 Cinderella,
or Disney’s? Exactly. You and the 647,992 other cake decorators around the
world are going to recreate Disney’s iconic interpretation of the tale (leaving
4 cakers paying tribute to Perrault’s Cendrillon, and kudos to them.) Here
again the answer is “No. It’s not legal.” “But lots of other decorators do it
and they're fine," you argue. "Why should I worry?” If your friends
jumped off a bridge would you jump, too? It’s really that simple. Just because
they haven’t been caught and served cease and desist orders or, worse, hit with
a lawsuit, doesn’t make it any more legal for your business.
“Well, what if I make a basic cake and add little plastic figures from the toy
store to the top?” you ask. Alright. Now you’re getting clever. But it’s still
a gray area. According to some copyright and trademark lawyers, the rights of
the creator end when a purchase is made of licensed products, like figurines.
How they are used after purchase is no longer under control of the creator. Let
me insert a big "but" right here. It is still not a good idea to
purchase a bunch of toys to slap on top of cakes and advertise that you do so
for profit. It’s the profit thing that most companies/designers/creators are
concerned with. Let’s jump into reality for a moment. Is it likely that Disney
is going to go after every cake maker that makes a Belle, Nemo, or Elsa cake?
No. Just know that they have the right to do so and can exercise that right
when they see fit. Odd as it may seem, they have to actively defend their
designs to maintain their rights. Going after little cakers is within their
ability and it’s something big companies have done, and will continue to do.
I can’t tell you how to run your cakey world. We all have to make decisions for
ourselves. If you’re OK with making character cakes without license and
accepting the risks involved, go for it. If you’re pouting and kicking the toe
of your sneaker against the flour bin, and begrudgingly throwing up your white
flag to the big guys, good for you. It’s your decision. You have the facts. Now
you know the risks.
For additional information, facts, and just plain good advice:
Selling
Cakes With Copyrighted Characters and Selling
Copyrighted Character Cakes - Should you do it?
from cakeboss.com.
And the final word, at least in the United States, The
US Copyright Office.
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