Is it okay to use fanart as a reference?

yes, as long as you give credit if you make different art with the same style as the refference art. An addendum to my vote: It’s okay if you do it without tracing, but distinguishing your own style from someone else’s is important. I also think it is a good idea to note your sources of inspiration.

Can you sell a painting of a copyrighted character?

You cannot sell derivative artworks made of copyrighted characters, and the only exception is if you have written permission from the copyright holder.

Can you recreate a painting and sell it?

It is legal to copy anything. It is illegal to sell, publicize and publish a copy of an artwork unless you have prior permission from the copyright owner. It is also illegal to publish and sell an artwork that’s substantially similar to another original work of art.

Can I use anime characters in my business?

Yes, they are copyrighted! In the United States, a character is automatically copyrighted as long as it is “original”, meaning it has to involve an element of creativity, that is unique and distinguishable. Using that character to make money for your own without the rights to use that character, is illegal!

Can game characters be copyrighted?

So, your favorite character in a game likely qualifies for copyright protection. Copyright ownership rights are effective as soon as the original expression is created, whether or not the work is registered.

Can my artist name be the same as a trademark video game?

No, your artist name cannot be the same as a trademark video game. Be original. Get Visual Assist 2021.3 today! New Visual Studio 2022 preview 2 support and we’ve updated our code inspection engine to Clang 12. Are video game world names trademarked or copyrighted?

Are video game characters protected by copyright?

Also, names alone do not have copyright protection. So just mentioning the name of a character won’t be copyright infringement without more. The creators of some video games use stock characters and scenery that resemble famous movie franchises.

What makes a character unique for video games?

For video games though, the unique expression is the actual visual character created by the artist. Famous Characters and Copyright Law:

Are name names copyrighted?

Names are never copyrighted as the idea behind Copyright is to protect originality of a work. Words, by themselves cannot be called original works and that’s why not eligible for copyright protection. To protect a name, you can apply for its Trademark registration as a word mark.