How do I handle the legal issues around painting copyrighted characters, logos, or celebrity portraits?

There are two categories: corporate logos and individual likenesses. For corporate logos (like university mascots or brand marks), you absolutely need official licensing agreements before selling work featuring them. Don’t paint and sell a Nike swoosh without permission—that’s very clear-cut infringement. For celebrity portraits or individual likenesses, the situation is murkier. Weigh the risk factor. If you paint someone and their estate comes after you, view it as an opportunity: you’re on their radar. Save a percentage of sales from those pieces in case you need to pay back royalties. When contacted, propose an ongoing licensing arrangement where you pay them a percentage going forward. Many times this opens a conversation rather than ending in a lawsuit. The key is being prepared and viewing potential legal contact as a business development opportunity, not a disaster.

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Asked by an artist concerned about copyright · Answered by Megh Knappenberger · art-marketing-podcast · 2023-08-10