Can I Sell Copyrighted Products?
We see students all the time interested in selling items that are copyrighted, for example Disney, Harry Potter, and NBA merch. We always get the question if this is okay to do, and the short answer is no.
Disney, including Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, etc has strict rules in place when it comes to their work, and have been known to sue creators who use their characters without permission.
Using designs that you do not have the rights to can put you in a sticky situation, not only is there potential for you to get in trouble with the owners of the work, but it can also be more difficult for you to sell the items, for example through Facebook ads and Shopify. Both Shopify and Facebook have strict rules in place and if they find you violate those rules, they can remove your products and/or will restrict your account.
This is the same for Harry Potter, etc. etc.
When starting your brand, it's best to pick a niche that can really be unique and your own, that way you won't be faced with copyright issues in the future.
If you want to see if something is trademarked, go ahead and search here.
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