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Hi there. I run a gaming club in North Cornwall UK called Beasts and Bionics.
6 Months ago a forum member designed a logo for us. (real sorry forgot name, say hi if its you)
Half dragin half Aquila. Sent it to GW who said it was Ok to use.
Yetserday, after having tops and website made, they changed thier mind and now say we cant use it.
So.
Can you help? Or do you know someone that can?

Thanks in advance

(hope Ive put this in the right section. If not could a mod please move?)

Hi! I'd love to help out. I'm sort of the resident Photoshop guy around here. Search for the thread "Endova's Sig Shop" if you don't believe me/want some proof. PM me and we'll get started!

Hi, I'm new here on dakka but well versed in the visual arts (I'm a 3rd year Illustration major). So if you need me send a pm!

Tell GW to go bite one.

If it's an original drawing, and does not contain GW IP (neither aquillas nor dragons are owned by GW), then there's nothing they can do about it.

Eric

Well I do think that this specific aquilla is owned by GW.

I'm not a lawyer, but they do indeed probably have an aquilla trademarked.

As an example, an unauthorized McDonald's fan club could not use a red & yellow logo with a 'golden arch' motif ithout being open to lawsuits.

Okay... by "Aquilla," I'm simply referring to the double headed eagle/bird design.

That design has been a round in military and heraldry for ages.

Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:Okay... by "Aquilla," I'm simply referring to the double headed eagle/bird design.

That design has been a round in military and heraldry for ages.

That's nice. it's not, however, particularly relevant.

GW presumably has a trademark on it for use with Wargaming.

Again, though: Are either of us IP lawyers?

Don't send anything to GW, anything that you send them apparantly automatically becomes theirs (according to the legal section of their site)

Again, I'm not a IP lawyer, so I don't know if that'd stand up as a decent case for GW to take your site down.

Balance wrote:

MagickalMemories wrote:Okay... by "Aquilla," I'm simply referring to the double headed eagle/bird design.

That design has been a round in military and heraldry for ages.

That's nice. it's not, however, particularly relevant.

GW presumably has a trademark on it for use with Wargaming.

Again, though: Are either of us IP lawyers?

Not relevant?
It's quite relevant.

Do a search on Google... heck, do one on Dakka.
This topic has been FIRMLY hashed out numerous times here, alone.

GW can't copyright a generic double headed eagle... Not within the boundaries of wargames and not outside the boundaries, either.

No. ?Like you, I am no IP lawyer... but I've conversed with enough of them here, in threads just like this one (seriously... do a search) to know the facts, rather than just make presumptions without researching.

Eric

(Self-edited) Eh, never mind. 8,000 better things to do than argue on the internet for no reason.

Still, you shouldn't get too close to the visualisation of GW's Aquila, because that specific one, with that width to height ratio, those sharp angles etc. is copyrighted.

There are two options open to you. Ignore gamesworkshop as they will have a hard time showing they "own" a picture of a dragon and an aquila, particulary if you change the shape slightly from GW stock aquila.

Or change the logo and use a roman imperial eagle.

Also if it's an original drawing and you derive no income or financial benifit from the images use the chance's of GW being able to make you remove it are very low. Also their legal team wont want to be seen crushing a small clubs dreams, and a court would not be likley to agree with them as long as the image wasn't an exact copy.

Smillie wrote:
Also if it's an original drawing and you derive no income or financial benifit from the images use the chance's of GW being able to make you remove it are very low. Also their legal team wont want to be seen crushing a small clubs dreams, and a court would not be likley to agree with them as long as the image wasn't an exact copy.

That's actually quite far from the truth (partially, anyway).

GW is big about crushing (or trying to) anything that it feels might be even remotely close to IP infringement, regardless of how big you are or whether or not you gain financial benefit from it.

I think that you're right about a court not agreeing with them. The problem, though, is that -for your average Joe- GW has enough lawyers & is big enough to beat you to death with their wallet before you ever get to court. You won't be able to afford to make it there.

Best bet is to NOT bring it to their attention and, if they ever contact you about it, tell 'em to p*ss off. Tell them you know it's not copyright infringement and, if they take you to court, they can expect a counter-suit. There's actually a very nice thread (probably 2+ years old) around here somewhere. Someone got a C&D letter from a much larger competitor, threatening them. They happened to have legal experience (IIRC) and replied with a very legalese letter... they never heard back again.

Same thing.


Eric

Anyway, no matter the legal details, I think it's better to just stay on the safe side and not piss GW off, no matter whether you're really right or not.
Just get the dragon-aquila thing, but make it a nice medieval-style aquila or something. Like http://bargello.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/aquila.jpg
and a GW-aquila style dragon. That way you still get the half-fantasy half-sf feeling that's in your clubs name. Only you don't get GW's army of lawyers (note to self: make army of lawyers, probably counts as Necron ) after your head.
I'm even willing to do some original artwork if you want, just send a pm and it'll be fine.

try converting a cyberwolf or thunderwolf then taking apicture. Then use that as your logo

Besides the fact that this is threadomancy (but it should be ok - because this topic is legit)



It isn't against anything to use aquilla.

Magickal Memories is correct on all points.

I'd assume they used the actual Warhammer aquila for their logo.

Which would be indeed against something.