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Hey Cricut crafters – I’m tackling reader questions this week and several Cricut users have asked about selling products with licensed images from Design Space or cartridges. Unfortunately, you cannot sell a product with a licensed character – those are for personal use only.
Why can’t you use a licensed image in your product?
Cricut has a licensing agreement with companies that allows them to sell and profit from licensed images, for example Disney. The agreement between Cricut and Disney does not extend to the end user (you or your small business) to sell products with the licensed images. Cricut has what is called an Angel Policy which is a document that gives permissions. Within the Angel Policy is this specific text:
“Walt Disney Company (Disney Consumer Products, Inc.), Sesame Workshop, Hello Kitty (Sanrio, Inc.), Warner Bros. (DC Comics, c/o Warner Bros. Consumer Products, Inc.), Martha Stewart, Kirstie Allsopp (BBC Worldwide Limited), Entertainment One UK Limited, Nickelodeon (Viacom International, Inc.), and Boys Scouts of America characters and images MAY NOT be reproduced and sold.”
I urge you to take the time at least once to read Cricut’s Angel Policy in full at this link. It lays out several other specifics for what you can and can’t do with their images.
It’s just that simple – don’t sell products with licensed characters on them – even if you’ve purchased them through Cricut’s Design Space. Read more on copyrights and trademarks, a frequent topic here on Cutting for Business.
This is a boring but essential post. Share it in your favorite Cricut crafting group:
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also teaches a course on creating digital SVG designs, available at How to Design SVGs.
Crystal
Thursday 8th of July 2021
I have read their angel policy and I have a question. I mainly use font and I understand the trademark items cannot be used for resale but there is an allowance for 10k finished items annually on products with a green a. I was told that and I did read...that we need to have something stated a cricut was used for the product...it could be on the tag etc. Is this even for items we only use cricut to for and not use their actual design?
Christine, Cutting for Business
Friday 9th of July 2021
I don't want to speak for Cricut, so reach out to them directly.
Carol
Sunday 28th of March 2021
I have a Silhouette and cricket. I don’t sell items on Etsy but may want to sell something at a small craft show or to friends. I really don’t make any profit since I sell Most of my items at cost, just so that I can recoup the cost of materials. Would this be a copyright infringement? Thanks
Christine, Cutting for Business
Monday 29th of March 2021
Hi Carol, I'm not sure what you are referring to being a copyright infringement. However, it doesn't matter if you make a profit or not - you would still need to follow copyright laws.
Niki McAtee
Friday 13th of November 2020
I recently made a product with a design on design space that said “always late but worth the wait” well I got an trademark infringement notice as that saying is trademarked. Do I let Cricut know? I thought I was covered under the angel policy and do not want this to happen again and get my shop shut down.
Christine, Cutting for Business
Friday 20th of November 2020
No, it's likely that the phrase 'Always late but worth the wait' isn't trademarked on all products. For example: Maybe you used it on a bodysuit where there is a trademark, but it isn't trademarked on pillows.
Susan
Friday 14th of August 2020
Since so many people use the images in their small businesses, why even offer them?
Christine, Cutting for Business
Monday 31st of August 2020
You'd have to ask Cricut regarding their policy.
Sanrda
Wednesday 29th of May 2019
Does Silhouette have an Angel Policy such as Cricut? I understand you can not sell individual letters with Cricut's policy. Does Silhouette allow this? I'm looking to sell DYI purse kits that would include some canvas glittered lettering.
Christine, Cutting for Business
Sunday 25th of August 2019
Silhouette does not have an Angel Policy. If you wish to use designs in the Silhouette Design Store for commercial use, you can purchase a commercial use file.