Hi folks!  I just wanted to get some opinions from you about copyright laws.  I see so many adorable character cakes out there and I desperately want to make them!  But I wonder about the copyright laws.  Do they not apply to cake decorators or are people just ignoring them?

What are your thought?

They do apply to cake decorators, people are ignoring them, it's illegal unless you have a license to do them, and it isn't opinion, it's just fact. Just do something in the colors of the character and let the customer buy toys to put on the cake when they get it home. There are a lot of threads on here about copyright, too, if you want to do a search for them. Some companies are more diligent than others about enforcing their trademarks and copyrights, but it's not worth taking a chance.  I posted this link a couple of days ago but it's worth another look. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/disney-sues-edible-cake-frosting-820032

Do they not apply to cake decorators or are people just ignoring them?

Yup...ignoring copyright laws, or just ignorant. It's up to you to determine if "the crime is worth the time".