Does anyone here know anything about exactly how copyright law works?

[DevilishBooster]

I have a case mod/custom build that I'm planning out and I'm trying to work out a couple final details, but I want to make sure that I won't be setting myself up for potential copyright trouble in the future.

 

Without spoiling it, it's going to be a Star Wars themed build (no, not because the movie is coming out soon, this has been in planning for over a year and it's just happy coincidence) and I am going to be getting some artwork done for the right side-panel. I have two options that I'm ping-pong'ing between. The first is to have the artist paint a scene depicting Anakin and Obi-Wan fighting in the Dual of Mustafar.

Something like this but in landscape format.

The second option I'm considering is a picture I stumbled on while searching for other Star Wars related pictures. I have tried to figure out who the original artist could be but I can only find the picture popping up on wallpaper sites and other sites like Imgur.

I'm wondering if I can get in any legal trouble if I use either, since I'm not doing this build for profit. Idk how extreme Disney/Lucasarts would be about using a scene from their movie, and since I can't locate the artist of the second on I can't exactly ask for permission.  I would also be paying the artist for the work, so I don't want to potentially put them in a bad situation too.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Mohenjo]

No, not at all. Thats like the equivalent of drawing a scene of star wars on a piece of of paper and then them suing you for it. They cant. 

[KemoKa]

Exactly how copyright laws work == several thousand pages of legal rhetoric that only a lawyer would take the time to memorize.

Look at fanart of Star Wars (like, I dunno, the ones you just posted?). Artists are never done in for making art of Star Wars, are they? As long as you don't try and mass-produce the case to sell without contacting LucasFilm/Disney/whoever and getting their permission, it should be totally fine. Any art that you don't make money on yourself is just more marketing and advertisement for them, so why would they sue you for it?

[DevilishBooster]

No, not at all. Thats like the equivalent of drawing a scene of star wars on a piece of of paper and then them suing you for it 

What about the second one where I can't figure out who the artist is?

[Mohenjo]

What about the second one where I can't figure out who the artist is?

No, it falls under fair use i think (im not a lawyer) and you are not making profit off of it. Imagine you print that image and paste it on a wall, Will anything happen? Hell no. Then all printers would be illegal. Same thing with tattoos. 

[DevilishBooster]

No, it falls under fair use i think (im not a lawyer) and you are not making profit off of it. Imagine you print that image and paste it on a wall, Will anything happen? Hell no. Then all printers would be illegal. Same thing with tattoos. 

Ok, that's what I figured but I just wanted to make sure.

[Volbet]

Depending on the country, this could in theory infringe on copyright laws.

But in practice no one will do anything about it. Since you are not making money on anything, no one will bother.

You will be liable for 0$ and therefor not intersting to sue.

[DevilishBooster]

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Ok, so then I guess if you guys want to voice an opinion it might help me come to a final decision. I'll create a poll in build planning.

[Misanthrope]

To be clear: Are you doing a project for your own enjoyment and such? Like just showing off your work in social media or a few LAN parties? If so they wouldn't go after you. Generally speaking, unless you're actually making money off the system or something that would be grey area (Like having a sponsor for some of the parts and such) You're generally ok.

 

Copyright law is there mainly for profit seeking entities that use the materials without authorization. It does not cover fan art, specially not fan art that's not widely distributed anyway since this is mostly for your system.

[airdeano]

as said above, if the item in question is for your own use (not for sale), then

there is no infringement. only until the item is then being advertised as the

mod/build is the inspiration and you'd like to be compensated for it, then you

can have some issues with copyright infringements.

 

there are workarounds to doing so. selling the item as a modification (unnamed)

without any representation and follows normal fair-market of the items used

then you can "skate" the issue, but once the mention of the intellectual property

then you'll have to invite the owners into the sale as partial owners of that item.