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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 Christmas songs in the public domain. When copyrights expire, they enter the …
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 …
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 …
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 …
With Easter right around the corner, I thought it was a good time to talk about Peeps. You know, those marshmallow candies that come in pastel colors and bunny or chick shapes? Specifically, are Peeps trademarked? If you’ve been around Cutting for Business for a while, you can probably guess how this post is going …