# Amazing novelty t-shirt idea **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543 "2002-07-18T04:38:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nervous\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nervous\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nervous_Knight)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/1 "2002-07-18T04:38:37Z")
I have a great novelty t-shirt design I want to market. Does anyone know of any retailers who are receptive to new product ideas from small companies? Any suggestions for marketing a t-shirt design would be helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/2 "2002-07-18T05:15:50Z")
Get a patent, then get it to local (enter appropriate type of store here) shops. Probably wouldn’t hurt to go in with a few investors (read: friends with money) for the patent costs and to make the first couple of batches. ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/3 "2002-07-18T08:18:57Z")
It’s generally reccomended that you only get a patent if you’re sure the idea is worth $50k. If it’s just a design on a t-shirt, rather than some new kind of super-t-shirt, copyright protection would probably be sufficient. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/4 "2002-07-18T10:06:52Z")
- - - As I Heard It: Patents and copyrights have no value to the individual anymore; they are only licenses to sue for infringement and if you can’t afford to sue, it’s money wasted. Big companies can afford much more lawyers and court time than you can. If it’s something that can be easily made, that’s another couple reasons a patent would be a waste of money. Anyone who wants to make unlicensed copies will anyway, and patents can be broken/disqualified by discovering “prior art”: examples of previously patented inventions that closely resemble yours (and the simpler yours is, the more likely it’s already been done before). ~ Go ahead and make as many as fast as possible, sell them as fast as possible, stop selling when you see your sales begin to drop off, and take your profits and go home. If they choose to fight in court, there is virtually _no way_ for you to get the profits other companies will have made by stealing your invention. - DougC ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/5 "2002-07-18T11:14:55Z")
Well, DougC, copyrights have huge value in the photo industry. Photographers individually are encouraged to register all their images, and with registration you can recoup court costs and punitive damages of up to $150,000 for willful infringement. Yep, the big companies do bow down to this pressure. I personally know a photographer who reached a settlement which allowed him a sizeable downpayment on a house because of a large corporation’s infringement of his image. The copyright is there to protect individuals as much as corporations. I’m not sure how this applies to tee-shirts, but don’t assume that copyrights have no value to the individual. I see there value all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Neptune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@Neptune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptune)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/6 "2002-07-18T11:49:10Z")
Are you talking about a clever or humorous picture or text that you want to see printed on a t-shirt? Depends on the quality and quanity you’re looking for. Lots of company will print novelty items, t-shirts, mugs, baseball caps, mouse pads, with your artwork. If you just want to make a couple for your friends, I think you can get iron-ons that you can make on your computer’s printer. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/7 "2002-07-18T12:25:29Z")
> [@](#): > > As I Heard It: Patents and copyrights have no value to the individual anymore; they are only licenses to sue for infringement and if you can’t afford to sue, it’s money wasted. Big companies can afford much more lawyers and court time than you can. Ah, but if they’re infringing on your copyrights, and you’ve registered them, they have to pay all your expenses. Most big defendants quit as soon as a legitimate case is filed: they can’t win, and they’re going to have to foot the entire bill. The ones that do go to court are those where the person suing has no real case – like if they’re claiming someone ripped off an idea (which isn’t copyrightable) or if they sent in a script (that was never read by the supposed infringers). ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/8 "2002-07-18T12:45:03Z")
I think patents and copyrights are different animals. Copyrights are a lot easier to defend. Patents tend to require lots of lawyers and lots of court time. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/9 "2002-07-18T12:48:29Z")
I think someone already patented the t-shirt. You may want to look into a copyright, or perhaps a trademark. ---
**Author:** ![tanstaafl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@tanstaafl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanstaafl)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/10 "2002-07-18T13:54:43Z")
These people will print up t-shirts for you (as well as mugs, mouse pads, etc.) and will help you set up an internet store to sell them. > **[CafePress | Best merchandise to express yourself](https://www.cafepress.com)** > > Celebrate everyone's unique identity and passions with custom t-shirts, stickers, posters, coffee mugs and more. Everyone is welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Nervous\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nervous\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nervous_Knight)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/11 "2002-07-18T16:46:27Z")
Actually, my question wasn’t really about how to protect the t-shirt design. There’s nothing special about the shirt itself, just the design, so a patent wouldn’t apply. In my case, I think a trademark might be the best method of design protection. I am most interested in actual marketing suggestions, not how to protect the design. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/12 "2002-07-18T18:09:31Z")
I’d ask Opal. ---
**Author:** ![Ivar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ivar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ivar)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/13 "2002-07-18T20:43:56Z")
The guy who came up with the “Free Winona” t-shirts takes suggestions. Maybe he would be willing to pay a royalty to you for a clever idea. Get a non-disclosure agreement before you let the idea out. Here’s his website. [www.ekay.com](http://www.ekay.com) ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/14 "2002-07-18T22:26:00Z")
[www.tshirthell.com](http://www.tshirthell.com) will give you $200 for a good idea. Worth a try. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2002, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/15 "2002-07-18T23:03:48Z")
I don’t know the nature of you shirt, so my ideas may not help… Pitch it to fund raising groups. If you can someway make it personalized, even better. Do a web shirt for companies that provide mailing lists. Buy a good list of fund raising groups and drop them a post card. If they companies that provide lists can’t narrow down fund raisers, ask them for lists of schools, youth groups, fire companies, etc. Decide what you need per shirt, find out what it would cost to manufacture and then let the groups decide what to charge. Give them a better margin if the sell X dollars. Just an idea, hope it helps. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2002, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-novelty-t-shirt-idea/119543/16 "2002-07-19T07:58:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*[www.tshirthell.com](http://www.tshirthell.com) will give you $200 for a good idea. Worth a try. \*\* $200? That’s it?! $200. If Nervous Knight has a good idea and is willing to market it himself, $200 is a rip-off. Hell, at $17 a shirt (on that site), just how many shirts with your slogan do they have to manufacture before they pull a profit on your shirt? Not many I’d suspect. What a deal for them.