Godzilla Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 What's the score with record label designs? I know lots of people use adaptations of them to promote their events and I'm not aware of this ever having been an issue. I'm going to be involved in arranging some club nights for a mini festival next year. Wanted to name one of the nights after a label and use the logo but need to ensure everything is above board as there will be funding from the local authority and various arts groups. Any advice? If referring to things that have happened in the past, can I ask that evidence other than just anecdotal is offered please. Cheers team Paul Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Rich Buckley Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 (edited) Hi Godz, Yes, copyright and design rights are protected. Having said that, if you're adapting some of "our" old tiny defunct labels then the risk is virtually non-existant. PM me if wanna chat it through. Cheers rich Edited May 31, 2010 by Rich Buckley Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
boba Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 What's the score with record label designs? I know lots of people use adaptations of them to promote their events and I'm not aware of this ever having been an issue. I'm going to be involved in arranging some club nights for a mini festival next year. Wanted to name one of the nights after a label and use the logo but need to ensure everything is above board as there will be funding from the local authority and various arts groups. Any advice? If referring to things that have happened in the past, can I ask that evidence other than just anecdotal is offered please. Cheers team Paul Isn't there a case of Motown suing either a book or website or something for the use of label designs (unaltered, just publishing them even) or maybe it was album art? Sorry for the vague information, maybe someone else can fill in more details if this is a real thing I'm talking about. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Dave Rimmer Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Isn't there a case of Motown suing either a book or website or something for the use of label designs (unaltered, just publishing them even) or maybe it was album art? Sorry for the vague information, maybe someone else can fill in more details if this is a real thing I'm talking about. Motown allegedly stopped the publication of Simon Soussan's book because there were Motown labels on the front cover. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
funkyfeet Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Motown allegedly stopped the publication of Simon Soussan's book because there were Motown labels on the front cover. Didn't stop the book coming out though Dave. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Goldsoul Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Didn't stop the book coming out though Dave. The situation is one of pot luck. There are hundreds of T Shirt, Cards, Bag retailers getting away with it every day. Good luck to them. Then there are the unlucky ones who get hammered as they appear to be easy targets. We are one of them, Joe Boy were another, for the most trivial of items. So be careful, even though the chances of being nailed are slim, once the high beam is switched on you, it can all get out of hand very quickly. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Dave Rimmer Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Didn't stop the book coming out though Dave. Officially it did. Although I believe copies did appear at a record fair in the States quite regularly Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Thanks for all the replies guys. What's the verdict when there's a sort of pastiche of the label that's not a copy but instantly recognisable nevertheless? Here's an example Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Goldsoul Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 It looks lovely to Soul fans. However if Universal decide to do something you are knackered. It happened to Joe Boy. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Amsterdam Russ Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 As I understand it, one of the greatest considerations for judges in cases of copyright infringement is intent. What was the purpose of the infringement? Was it with a view to making money - and how much? The greater the intent to make money, the greater the likelihood that any decision will go against the infringer. Another consideration is the degree to which the infringement impacts upon the copyright holder. The bigger the scale of the infringement, the greater the impact is likely to be. Launching a record label called Mootown and using the Motown typeface, or one sufficiently close to it so as to make people think that it is indeed connected to Motown, will just land you in a lot of hot water. More so as the word is trademarked and thus has even more legal protection surrounding it. Using (as per the image above) the Stax finger click image on an actual, commercial record label would also have the legal forces bearing down on you. It is instantly recognisable as belonging to Stax. Using such a design on a flyer though, is probably of such insignificance that no one would care. Further, it might be possible to argue that the use of the logo was in fact aiding the Stax name and encouraging sales by promoting awareness of the music among those with a high purchasing intent! But... usual disclaimers apply: I am not a lawyer and any comment is merely uninformed opinion. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Godzilla Posted May 31, 2010 Author Share Posted May 31, 2010 Using (as per the image above) the Stax finger click image on an actual, commercial record label would also have the legal forces bearing down on you. It is instantly recognisable as belonging to Stax. Using such a design on a flyer though, is probably of such insignificance that no one would care. Further, it might be possible to argue that the use of the logo was in fact aiding the Stax name and encouraging sales by promoting awareness of the music among those with a high purchasing intent! But... usual disclaimers apply: I am not a lawyer and any comment is merely uninformed opinion. 18 releases on that label though... Discogs - Stix Label Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Amsterdam Russ Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Possibly they slipped under the radar. Or, as I suggested, they were seen as harmless. You could always point them out to the legal owners of the Stax catalogue and see if they would like to comment... Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
boba Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 Possibly they slipped under the radar. Or, as I suggested, they were seen as harmless. You could always point them out to the legal owners of the Stax catalogue and see if they would like to comment... i think Motown is particularly litigious Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 i think Motown is particularly litigious Why dont they sue Stax then for using there fingers first seen on Motown sub "weed" ? Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest john s Posted May 31, 2010 Share Posted May 31, 2010 18 releases on that label though... Discogs - Stix Label I'd imagine as the label owns none of the music that they're putting out, they're probably not that bothered about the niceties of label design copyright. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 (edited) Thanks for all the replies guys. What's the verdict when there's a sort of pastiche of the label that's not a copy but instantly recognisable nevertheless? Here's an example yeah ! give richie buckley a bell - he knows his onions and that looks well dodgy Edited June 1, 2010 by mossy Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest sandi Posted June 1, 2010 Share Posted June 1, 2010 yeah ! give richie buckley a bell - he knows his onions and that looks well dodgy Well it would do would'nt it !, it's a record not an ONION. Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
Guest mel brat Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 (edited) Didn't stop the book coming out though Dave. Someone should have brought out bootleg copies of Soussan's book... The Soul Fox Publishing Co.? Edited June 4, 2010 by mel brat Link to comment Social source share More sharing options...
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