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Can You Legally Make & Sell Super Mario Brothers Products?

With the launch of The Super Mario Brothers Movie recently, I thought it would be a great time to talk about making and selling Super Mario Brothers products in your craft business. Can You Legally Make and Sell Super Mario Brothers Products? You cannot make and sell Super Mario Brothers products without a license/permission from …

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Can Crafters Make Olympic Themed Products & Sell Them?

With the summer Olympics just a little over a week away, I figured I’d share some information about Olympic trademarks for Silhouette and Cricut crafters. Can Crafters Make Olympic Themed Products & Sell Them? No. The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) has various trademarks covering everything related to the Olympics. In the Brand Usage Guidelines, …

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Can You Legally Make and Sell Military Products in Your Craft Business?

Did you know that if you are selling something with a military logo, military name, or military insignia you must get a license to do so? Today, we are going to look at the trademark concerns and licensing requirements for each of the five US military branches. What Does the Military Have Trademarked? The military branches collectively …

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Can You Legally Make and Sell Spotify Products?

Recently, Spotify products have become hot sellers in the handmade craft market. As always, my first thoughts were about the legality of making and selling products using screenshots of Spotify, Spotify codes, or the Spotify logo. I reached out to Spotify for an official statement after hearing rumors that Spotify was having infringing products removed …

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Trademark Issues: Can You Make & Sell Dr. Seuss Themed Products?

With Christmas coming, I know that so many craft businesses are currently working on holiday products. Today is a great day to talk about making handmade products related to Dr. Seuss and his characters; like the Grinch, the Lorax, Cindy Lou Who, Thing One and Thing Two, Sam-I-Am, and many more. Can You Make and …

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20 Christmas Songs in the Public Domain for Crafters to Use

I spend a lot of time on Cutting for Business telling crafters what they can’t make due to trademark and copyright issues. Today, I’m spending a few minutes telling you want you can use in your crafts for sale. Specifically, let’s talk about public domain Christmas songs. When copyrights expire, they enter the public domain. …

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Who Owns the Rights to Custom Made Designs in Your Craft Business

It’s pretty common for Silhouette and Cricut small business owners to design and sell customers unique, one-of-a-kind products. Many times, the design you create is based on the idea of the customer. After you send the finished product – who owns the rights to the design based on your customer’s idea: you as the maker …

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Can You Legally Use Bitmoji Avatars in Your Small Business?

I’ve noticed a lot of Silhouette and Cricut business owners using Bitmoji Avatars in their business logos, social media profile pictures, and advertising materials. I’ve had an uneasy feeling about the legalities of doing this, so I set off to do some research.  What is a Bitmoji Avatar? Before I share my findings – and …

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Understanding the US Copyright Act of 1976 as a Crafter

For the most part, trademarks are pretty easy to understand. People or corporations can register a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office. If it is approved, the trademark is listed in a public database called TESS and we can search it for trademark concerns before creating products for sale. Copyrights seem more difficult …

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