If I were to, say, decorate a little dollhouse to be like the Addams family house (mainly based on the first movie) complete with little dolls and sell it, would that be legal if I never mention the words “Addams” or various family members’ names in the (ebay) ad description? Or could I actually say it is meant to be the Addams family?
What about if I just say it’s *reminiscent *of the Addams family? (It’d be a bit difficult to come up with keywords that describe the item but not referencing its inspiration.)
Thank you so much.
You’re likely going to be in trouble if it looks almost exactly like the house. They have employees looking for copyright violations and they will remove it in a heart beat if it looks like it uses anything copyrighted. Selling a creepy old house is not going to get you in trouble. I wouldn’t mention reminiscent of the Adams Family.
Yeah, it’s hard to describe things that are altogether ooky.
Hm. Thanks guys. If it is spotted on ebay and recognized, would the listing just be shut down, or could my account wind up being suspended?
Only if the copyright holder complains to eBay.
Erm, so was that a vote for “listing shut down” or “account being suspended”? I need to know the worst-case scenario.
Thanks.
Worse case scenario is that ninja lawyers come to your house and beat you to death with pieces of the dollhouse.
Then they shoot your corpse.
Seriously, it’s impossible to answer that question since there are too many variables. Contact eBay and ask if you absolutely need to know.
…then adding you as an extra in the next movie.