legality of my logo.

[steampunk42]

so recently my friend informed me that the logo i plan to use for my small knit gear buisiness looks very similar to the logo for Vault-tec a fictional company in the fallout series. i looked at both and saw enough disimilar qualities to think nothing of it. anybody here know what the laws are for similar logos...or if the vault-tec logo is copy-righted?
here is my logo, knitted on too my promotional hat. the logo i saw as a design on a rug in a museum i work at, one little swuigal....which i used. too similar? http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/282095_2070346993029_1075486098_32330932_6167286_n.jpg

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I assume it's the logo as your avatar? Don't worry, it bears very little resembelence to the Vault-tec logo.

 

[Ickorus]

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty ubuntu logo

 

[TornadoFive]

The Vault-Tec logo WILL be copyrighted. If there are enough similarities between your logo and theirs, then Bethesda could force you to change it, in court if necessary. It's unlikely that they will, as long as the logo's are different enough. It would help if you could show a picture of your logo.

Edit: If your avatar is the logo you're talking about, you don't have to worry! It's not that similar!

 

[Scottieburke]

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

 

[Saltyk]

I'm assuming (fully aware of what happens when I do) that your avatar is your logo. As far as I can tell, it looks nothing like the Vault-tec logo. Just having a circle isn't enough.

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty google chrome logo.

Yeah, it kinda does. Though, I don't know what copyright laws would say about that. He might wanna change his a little, just to be safe.

 

[steampunk42]

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty ubuntu logo

I assume it's the logo as your avatar? Don't worry, it bears very little resembelence to the Vault-tec logo.

it is not the one in my avatar, that is a steampunk ubunto logo. my logo is a circle with a single dot in the center, three lines extend from either side. like simplified vault-tec my friend said

 

[Lilani]

so recently my friend informed me that the logo i plan to use for my small knit gear buisiness looks very similar to the logo for Vault-tec a fictional company in the fallout series. i looked at both and saw enough disimilar qualities to think nothing of it. anybody here know what the laws are for similar logos...or if the vault-tec logo is copy-righted?

I think you should change the design if it does look that similar. Better safe than doling out tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and copyright infringement penalties.

 

[Xelt]

Could you post an example of it?

 

[Daystar Clarion]

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty ubuntu logo

I assume it's the logo as your avatar? Don't worry, it bears very little resembelence to the Vault-tec logo.

it is not the one in my avatar, that is a steampunk ubunto logo. my logo is a circle with a single dot in the center, three lines extend from either side. like simplified vault-tec my friend said

Well, until I can see it for myself, I won't be able to tell you if it's different enough.

 

[steampunk42]

Could you post an example of it?

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty ubuntu logo

I assume it's the logo as your avatar? Don't worry, it bears very little resembelence to the Vault-tec logo.

it is not the one in my avatar, that is a steampunk ubunto logo. my logo is a circle with a single dot in the center, three lines extend from either side. like simplified vault-tec my friend said

Well, until I can see it for myself, I won't be able to tell you if it's different enough.

the example has been posted in my starting comment

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Could you post an example of it?

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Is that it in your avatar, because if anything that looks like a rusty ubuntu logo

I assume it's the logo as your avatar? Don't worry, it bears very little resembelence to the Vault-tec logo.

it is not the one in my avatar, that is a steampunk ubunto logo. my logo is a circle with a single dot in the center, three lines extend from either side. like simplified vault-tec my friend said

Well, until I can see it for myself, I won't be able to tell you if it's different enough.

the example has been posted in my starting comment

I think it looks different enough. I certainly wouldn't have confused it with the Vault-tec logo anyway.

 

[Shymer]

If you have happened to independently create a logo that is something similar to a pre-existing artistic work, that in an of itself is not copyright infringement. Copying the logo and adapting it for use in your business probably is infringement. It would only be properly enforceable if the logo is registered. If I were running a game studio, I would routinely copyright register all of that kind of imagery produced during development.

In most cases, similarities of this nature would never be tested in court unless there were aggravating circumstances - such as copying their business model, passing yourself off as somehow affiliated to the company, separate trademark infringement, posting articles critical of the owner of the copyright or otherwise bringing attention to yourself.

If you stick to using your independently-created and different (though similar) logo to sell knit gear, chances are how you came up with the logo would never be challenged.

If you are worried about such things - you might want to consider registering your own business logo. Plenty of legal information and resources for logo designers on the web - but there's probably no substitute for checking with a lawyer in your locality.

 

[Funkysandwich]

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Those Linux guys just love to sue people...

 

[Spookimitsu]

The example posted isnt really clear, It's kind of hard to translate a logo through that medium, and the photo wasnt flattened out so that we could really see. You are asking to compare the stitching done with a professionally made graphic, at least arm us with the tools to give you a fair assessment.

tl,dr: we need a better picture of your logo, and not one knitted in.

and it's NOT TC's avatar

 

[Scottieburke]

I would be more worried about Ubuntu [http://frendhi.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/ubuntulogo.png].

Those Linux guys just love to sue people...

Oath. Hell sometimes i think its fun