vehicle branding and copyright

NeptunesMoon

hi im looking to get a van done up by putting some stickers on it. id want to show that i specialise in certain brands but im in no way affiliated with them and some are too big to be able to get permission from, but id want to put their logos on my van. id also want to put graphics on which maybe i could find on http://sxc.hu/ :cool:

would i run into problems at all here? i dont want to infring on copyright at all so i dont know the best way to go about it and i dont want to just chance it, id like to know its ok to do first!! :cool:

want to do up designs for van this evening so if anyone knows for sure and can help just hit reply :D

cheers!

Eoineo

I think you know the answer to that question!

In my experience it's a bad move to display brands and logos without prior permission.

21inchguns

It's a hell of a lot easier to say sorry and remove stickers after the event than to get permission beforehand. At the end of the day you will be giving them money by buying their brands and selling them on/using them while providing your service so it's hardly the crime of the century.

Sonnenblumen

All brands are subject to copyright and approval from brand owners to use in any marketing activity would be a legal requirement.

tricky D

Brands can be very fussy about the use of logos and trademarks.

First, they have to be of good quality so saving a version from a website won't cut it most of the time. Your printer will most likely want vectored graphics, typically .eps format and the best place to get them is direct from the company.

Secondly, specifications for displaying logos can be quite specific in regard to matters like the amount of whitespace around the logo or use of taglines. E.g. if you use a logo 1 metre high by 2 metres wide, they might insist on 0.5 metre of whitespace around the whole logo. They might also want certain logo layouts for certain media. Again the best place these guidelines is from the company.

(Many companies will have a Media Pack or similar which covers the above)

Lastly, some companies can be very tetchy about the use of logos and brandnames without permission or in the wrong format (e.g. Academy Awards hate the use of Oscar in many circumstances), some might even get all legal on you. So get permission from the company.

So, it's simply best to ask the company about these matters.

NeptunesMoon

cheers for the helpful replies!!!:D

what about just using their name? say if I had panasonic written on the van, but just written in normal font, no logo or anything, just the name itself? just using panasonic as a example. :cool:

without having tried at all i just get the impression it will take ages to get permission from some of the massive brands? :(

Robert`

It doesn't change it much since any word, name, symbol or design may be trademarked.

If you do a search on http://oami.europa.eu/CTMOnline/RequestManager/en_SearchBasic you can find a list of all registered European (EU members states / European community) trademarks.

Panasonic is registered, and has the following representatives in the UK. Perhaps you could contact them?

Representative
Help
Name: MARKS & CLERK LLP
ID No: 10578
Address: 90 Long Acre
Post code: WC2E 9RA
Town: London
Country: UNITED KINGDOM
Correspondence address: MARKS & CLERK LLP 90 Long Acre London WC2E 9RA REINO UNIDO
Telephone: 00 44-2074200000
Fax: 00 44-2078363339
E-mail: Send e-mail admin@marks-clerk.com

Wouldn't give you much chance of getting permission tho; unless you become a partner, authorized reseller, etc. Probably the same with any other company.

alexlyons

tricky D wrote: »

Secondly, specifications for displaying logos can be quite specific in regard to matters like the amount of whitespace around the logo or use of taglines. E.g. if you use a logo 1 metre high by 2 metres wide, they might insist on 0.5 metre of whitespace around the whole logo. They might also want certain logo layouts for certain media. Again the best place these guidelines is from the company.

just to back that up, as an example, Jameson require, or at least did, that their logo was on a dark green background (they specified the exact shade). that's why on billboards etc you would see the logo on green in the corner. I found a lot of the time it made it look out of place tbh

tricky D

neptunesmoon2 wrote: »

what about just using their name? say if I had panasonic written on the van, but just written in normal font, no logo or anything, just the name itself? just using panasonic as a example.

without having tried at all i just get the impression it will take ages to get permission from some of the massive brands?

That would also likely be a no-no. Bottom line is ask permission.

Sonnenblumen

neptunesmoon2 wrote: »

cheers for the helpful replies!!!:D

what about just using their name? say if I had panasonic written on the van, but just written in normal font, no logo or anything, just the name itself? just using panasonic as a example. :cool:

without having tried at all i just get the impression it will take ages to get permission from some of the massive brands? :(

Companies invest huge monies in developing (but also protecting) brand names and trade marks. No company could or would afford any direct or indirect activity to undermine core brand values.

The reality is you will need to obtain approval from the brand owner or local representative which might be the importer/distributor, re-seller or agent. It may not be too difficult to make contact and seek permission, the key point being that it would be prudent to seek prior approval.

NeptunesMoon

savage info there lads cheers!!