If my business involved custom printing posters based on client designs, would there be legal ramifications if the client supplied a design with trademarked images on it?
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If my business involved custom printing posters based on client designs, would there be legal ramifications if the client supplied a design with trademarked images on it?
What would I need to do to avoid legal ramifications? Would I have to be responsible for making sure designs are not trademarked?
Asked on January 21, 2012 under Business Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Generally speaking, just like copy companies and digital print shops, you can recreate or copy designs that are trademarked without express written permissin from the trademark owner, copyright owner and so on. Here, if a business is your client and that business asked you to print a poster advertising its company but used a trademarked image that does not belong to the business and is not free clip art or clip art that does not require a license to print or use, then you should refuse to use the trademarked image and suggest alternatives.
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