I design my own line of dolls made from floral-printed fabric I
purchase at local fabric shops.  When I send the dolls to a factory overseas,
they are able to somehow "copy" the fabrics I use. I do not use
licensed fabrics (such as Disney, etc.)but all fabric is copyrighted
by the manufacturer. My intention is to sell my dolls wholesale at
gift markets,but I want to make sure I am not breaking any copyright
laws first.  Is this legal?  If it is not legal, how do I avoid this issue?

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 12 Jan 2005 07:32 PST

Copyright is copyright, and no one is allowed to reproduce it --
especially for commercial use -- without clear permission from the
copyright holder.

Your choices are two-fold, it seems to me:

1.  Get permission from the copyright-holder by contacting the fabric manufacturer.

2.  Use royalty-free fabric designs, such as the ones shown here:

http://www.fotosearch.com/classic-pio/classic-fabrics-v1/CLP118/
[click "next" to see the second page of designs]


Your overseas factory could then copy the images onto fabric for use
with your dolls.

If the latter option seems to meet your needs, let me know, and I'll
post some additional links to royalty-free designs as an answer to
your question.


pafalafa-ga


P.S.  Please note the disclaimer at the bottom of this page.  I am not
a copyright professional, and any information provided here should not
be taken as a substitute for solid professional advice from a
copyright attorney.