Need logo help, legal question?

[Candles by DonnaMarie]

Hello all,

I found a logo/graphic that I really like on Google images that I want to use for my company, however, I am not sure if I am allowed to. Is the logo owned by anybody, and if so, would I need to pay any kind of royalty fees for using it? Is it considered copyrighted?

I have asked a friend to design one for me just in case, which leads me to another question. If I take bits and pieces of different graphics and combine them into one, is that okay to then use as my logo?

Thanks to all who respond.

Bob and DonnaMarie

Soon to be Jack B. Nimble & Quick Candle Co.

[dovestudios]

Google images are collected in much the same way websites are indexed in Google. A spider goes from site to site and collects the information. When you search for an image in Google images, you are searching through material the belongs to other people .

When an image is created, the copyright belongs to the creator. It may be sold or transferred to another individual or licensed to many individuals, ( like you would see on a clipart site.)

If you grab an image and make a derivative work from it without permission, you are violating that person's copyrights and could end up in legal trouble.

Some images are in the public domain and may be used without restriction. These images are few and far between and consist of work that was created more than 50 years ago by artists who are no longer living and without living descendants who have inherited the rights to the images.

Even clipart sites are pretty strict on the usage of their images and do not permit them to be used in logos or service marks without permission and/or a high fee for exclusive use.

One of the main reasons for these laws is to protect the people who create the works and derive their living from the sale of the works. When someone uses an image without permission and/or payment, they are in essence stealing money from the pockets of the artist who created the image.

While images are not tangible, they are property. If you drove by a field and saw a pile of lumber that you really needed to build your house, you would not take the lumber because you know it belongs to someone else. You know it would be stealing. The same principle applies to material online.

Aside from all the legal issues, you really wouldn't want to use an image that may show up somewhere else because you would want your logo to be unique from all others. You would not want to use an image that was not unique to you.

Your best bet is to have your designer draw an image for you. That way, you don't have to worry about copyright or originality.

I hope this helps!

Donna

[Candles by DonnaMarie]

Thanks Dovestudios, good info.