The legalities of using (copyrighted?) Amiga logos on websites

[StevenJGore]

Hi,

For my new CD32-related website (see sig for link, nothing there yet though!) I was wondering about logos. More specifically, the red and white Amiga CD32 logo (as found on the front of the CD32 and most CD32 games), and the Commodore logo. Would there be any legal issues if I were to use any of these on my website pages? I'm not sure who owns what, these days, if anybody!

Thanks!
Steve.

[bloodline]

StevenJGore wrote:
Hi,

For my new CD32-related website (see sig for link, nothing there yet though!) I was wondering about logos. More specifically, the red and white Amiga CD32 logo (as found on the front of the CD32 and most CD32 games), and the Commodore logo. Would there be any legal issues if I were to use any of these on my website pages? I'm not sure who owns what, these days, if anybody!

Thanks!
Steve.

I'd say use it, it's not like there is anyone who can sue you.

[StevenJGore]

it's not like there is anyone who can sue you.

That's just what I was thinking!

[that_punk_guy]

In theory, anyone who owns the trademarks could take action against you. They would probably just ask that the material is removed first. (...Unless it's Microsoft... :roll:)

In practice I think companies - especially those in a hobbyist/minority market - are more than happy to have sites out there spreading the word, and if that strengthens their corporate image, so much the better for them.

[odin]

Fleecy might wake up and sue you for using a boing ball or something :-P.

[blobrana]

I  have a disclaimer on my site that says that the logos are copyright.

But, my viewpoint is that it is free advertising for amiga, so no problem IMHO....

Hehe, and if someone WERE to object to anything that they found , then it`s only a ten minute job to rectify the problem...
  :-D

[bloodline]

blobrana wrote:
I  have a disclaimer on my site that says that the logos are copyright.

But, my viewpoint is that it is free advertising for amiga, so no problem IMHO....

Hehe, and if someone WERE to object to anything that they found , then it`s only a ten minute job to rectify the problem...
  :-D

Seriously, do you remember when loads of people were going to be sued by Amiga Inc. et al... and then we heard nothing from them.

They can't even defend themselves from any of the case brought against them, even ones they could have won if they had had decent, or any council... :-D

[DonnyEMU]

It's free advertising for one, and secondly if you got written indefinitely permission from the original copyright holder (not A Inc.) how can they complain..

The Boing! logo was adoped by A Inc. but never was an offiical symbol that was owned and used by Commodore.. Why?? Because they adopted it too, and it wasn't originally copyrighted by Commodore. But the developer of the Boing! ball demo.  So their buying the rights just doesn't hold water. A certain developer of the original "Boing!" demo holds that copyright. Or at least did hold the "rights" to it.. During the original Amiga years if you wanted to use the boing! ball, you originally had to get permission from the developer and his company to use it if you decided to, not Commodore. So arguably Commodore never had the rights to it, how could A Inc. have it. They had the demo sure, but was not done in house. That pre-dates the loraine prototype.

 Plus that logo has been used by NewTek and Play Inc.  too. (pre-dating A Inc's useage). I doubt Play asked permission either and it was probably registered by them before A Inc. came onto the scene (the chrome 3d one version).

It would be silly for them to attempt to say A Inc. really owns the copyright on that, because that was someone else's prior art and copyright other than Commodore..

That's why Commodore themselves used the checkmark it wasn't they didn't like the boing! symbol it just wasn't really theirs (it was the developer of that demo's) to give permission..

So I doubt it holds water that A Inc. could even seriously trademark that logo.. There's tons of prior printed art and software.. It's not my place to say who that developer was (but his name is in the a1000 case) and he still retains the ownership unless he released those rights..

He probably doesn't care and is just supporting the Amiga community. That's probably why A Inc. dropped all the fuss.. It's not even their property.. They bought Commodore registered symbols and the boing! ball is someone elses..

Hints: A2024 and X-Windows..

[Jettah]

This whole thread smacks of stealing one's belongings and THE RIGHT of doing so while he or she can't physically or legally defend him/herself.

Imagine you're physically lacking the  power to defend your precious or emotionally precious posessions. Does this give your neighbours (or your so-called 'friends') the right to plunder you? Other people putting your 'jewels' to general display?

Disgusting! It's plain highway robbery. You're no more than vultures watching for a chance on a near dead body! I hope you're man enough to realize this.

Regards

Tjitte

[odin]

:lol:

[Framiga]

Hi Steve,


"AMIGA and its Boing logo, are registered trademarks of Amiga Inc."

or so . . . and you are in peace with your conscience.

Ciao

PS- only for curiosity but . . .is it correct the disclaimer at the bottom of AW.net homepage?

"AMIGA and it´s logos are registered trademarks of Amiga Inc."

Those "it's" don't stay for "it is" ?

[StevenJGore]

This whole thread smacks of stealing one's belongings and THE RIGHT of doing so while he or she can't physically or legally defend him/herself.

Imagine you're physically lacking the power to defend your precious or emotionally precious posessions. Does this give your neighbours (or your so-called 'friends') the right to plunder you? Other people putting your 'jewels' to general display?

Disgusting! It's plain highway robbery. You're no more than vultures watching for a chance on a near dead body! I hope you're man enough to realize this.

I was merely asking if certain logos were still copyrighted, mainly the red and white CD32 logo, and who owns the copyright.

I'm not interested in the Boing! ball logo because a) it's naff, b) it has no unique association with the CD32 and therefore no place on my website, and c) basic two-colour raytraced/rendered spheres with checkered patterns may have been all the rage in the early 90's, but using it as a logo in 200X is just laughable. When I booted OS3.9 for the first time, the "Get Boinged!" logo made be cringe so much, I nearly died! :-D

"AMIGA and its Boing logo, are registered trademarks of Amiga Inc."

or so . . . and you are in peace with your conscience.

If it makes me legal, I'll add it to my website! Cheers!

Steve.

[terminator]

For my new CD32-related website (see sig for link, nothing there yet though!) I was wondering about logos. More specifically, the red and white Amiga CD32 logo (as found on the front of the CD32 and most CD32 games), and the Commodore logo.

If in doubt, just ask the respective owners.  The worst they can say is no.

Amiga will probably have no issues with you using the name and logos they own, but I can't say the same for the owners of the Commodore name and marks.

For the most part, since you plan an information site, not one created to attack the makers of the product, I don't think they would be too concerned.

If in doubt, ask.  It doesn't cost anything.

(I am not a lawyer, and neither are most of the people here.)

[bloodline]

Very good point, DON'T USE THE COMMODORE LOGO WITHOUT PERMISSION, the trademark owner has teeth and WILL bite!!

[JurassicCamper]

Volkswagen go mental over the use of their trademark and VW in circle logo.
Last year they ordered all third suppliers to remove any reproduction / restoration item with a VW logo on not to be sold or they would be sued for selling them.
This was items like stickers, hub caps, panels thats have the VW logo embossed in them, badges, suspension parts which had the vw logo on the box, these are just to illustrate the part was suitable for VW's.
Its crazy because volkswagen havn't made most of these parts for decades, some parts went out of production 40 years ago, so people have stepped in  to fill the gap in the restoration market and volkswagen say yes you can make these parts but dont put our logo on them..... Makes proper restoration jobs a bit of a nightmare now, especially if you have that eye for original detail.