Question of the Day: I am doing a comedy video where I tell jokes I wrote about movies to a movie character (who is me in cosplay). The only content is the name and likeness of the character and the references to the movie. Does this seem allowable? Like, telling Star Wars jokes to a Darth Vader toy or costumed person.

Movie characters are protected by copyright, and possibly trademark. If you create cosplay videos that include the film’s intellectual property, it could interfere or compete with the movie company to make their own videos that feature these characters. You may want to do research to determine if the company whose character you want to use allows such works of fan art.

If legal questions were easy, we wouldn’t need lawyers.

More helpful information available here:
When Can You Use Others’ Work in a Parody or Satire?:    • When Can You Use Others’ Work in a Pa...  
Using a Cartoon Character in Parody Work:    • Using Cartoon Character in Parody Wor...  
Is it Fan Art or Copyright Infringement: http://bit.ly/2BdTRsV

Ruth Carter is an attorney at Venjuris Law Firm in Phoenix, Arizona – a firm that focuses on business, intellectual property, and internet/social media law. They are also a professional speaker, blogger, and author through Carter Law Firm.

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Disclaimer: This video does not constitute legal advice. Watching this video does not create an attorneyclient relationship with any viewer. If you need personalized legal advice, hire an attorney.