I have this potential client, it’s still in the planning stage. The group of young people (well, teenagers to be precise) wants me to build their website. They are into this game called Wizardia and they want to create T-shirts using stuff from their collection. I know a lot of people do this when they dropship stuff, but I’m curious to know if this would cause them future problems when they sell these merch on Shopify and particularly if they can advertise on Facebook? They are really enthusiastic about this and are really keen on having their own brand if all goes well. I wouldn’t want to see them investing time and money in vain.
Topic summary
A web developer is being approached by teenagers who want to sell T-shirts featuring characters from the video game Wizardia through a Shopify store with Facebook advertising.
Legal Concerns:
- Video game characters are protected by copyright, covering not just specific images but the entire character concept
- Using these characters without permission constitutes copyright infringement
- T-shirt vendors are particularly vulnerable to legal action, unlike casual fan art creators
Recommendations:
- Permission from the game company is required before proceeding
- Consultation with a lawyer is strongly advised, as laws vary by jurisdiction and situation
- One commenter suggests a distinction: generic meme shirts may be acceptable, but creating official-looking brand merchandise crosses legal boundaries
Status: The discussion remains open with no clear resolution on how to proceed legally. The key takeaway is that this business model carries significant legal risk without proper licensing.
1 Like
Hi there,
Yes, you would need permission. Characters are protected by copyright, not just the specific image of them, but the whole character.
Fan art is technically a copyright infringement, but one that few manufacturers find it worthwhile to go after with lawsuits. But t-shirt vendors, that’s a perfect target.
Anytime you want to consider a business model that involves stuff made by other people, you need to talk to a lawyer about your plans. Laws tend to be very situation specific and there may be a few ways you could do this in your country legally, without asking permission of the video game company.
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generally meme t shirts are fine. you can find them all over the place. lines are crossed when you’re actually making merch for that brand. for example if you open a shoe shop, and sell plain looking shoes with nike on it
versus
if you buy nike shoes, then modify the nike shoes and sell them bespoke on your shop.