Q&As

Can the owner of the copyright in a film prevent a third party from putting quotes from that film onto a t-shirt and selling it for a profit?

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Published by a ³ÉÈËÓ°Òô IP expert
Published on: 21 March 2023
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This Q&A assumes that the question relates to the position under UK copyright law.

The first point to establish is whether copyright subsists in the film. In principle, a film may comprise a number of individual different copyright works depending on the type of production being made, eg a drama or a factual documentary. For more information, see Practice Notes:

  1. •

    Copyright—protectable works

  2. •

    Copyright in films and television programmes

  3. •

    Copyright in film and television—making a new film

The next point to establish is whether putting quotes from the film onto a t-shirt and selling it constitutes an act (or acts) of copyright infringement.

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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
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