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I would like to make some antique looking signs to put in a gallery in a town that has a big oil production past. I would like to use old oil company logos. Can I do this? I seem to remember that maybe if the company has been gone for 50 years or something?
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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its a toss up here........most of the "OLD" oil companies...SINCLAIR, ESSO, GULF, CITI... are not really chasing down anyone who reproduces their old logos and taking them to court))))))))now you may get some flack from CITCO, TEXECO,EXXON, or any of the newer branding. so i dont see any problem wit the repro of old old logos.... now where you are.....i would stay away from QUAKER STATE, PENZOIL, VALVOLINE...as these are still in PA.......
[ May 15, 2014, 03:48 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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one of my favorites. while living in maine, and working at aout parts NAPA.... we talked to the son of the owner of this company from boston. i think they sold out to big oil. [IMG][/IMG]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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that logo was designed in the early 1900's.....and then this company in thw 1990's came up with this oil change franchise ...kinda similar [IMG][/IMG]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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All the reproduction decals and porcelain gas, oil and auot signs are made under license agreements, no mater how old the logo may be are covered under the copy right laws either owned by GM, Ford, Chrysler, Mopar Texaco and a great many gas companies are under Standard oil, Oilzum is also licensed. BEWARE, they do in fact prosecute!
-------------------- Len Mort Signmaker1.com 11 Juniper Drive Millbury, MA 508-865-2382 "A Good Business Sign, is A Sign of Good Business"(1957) Posts: 811 | From: Millbury, Ma | Registered: Dec 2006
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Dave, what's not to like??? The hat, the goggles, aw man, I love it...well, I guess the hat does sort of look like a hot water bottle, and the guy resembles a Martian. Maybe one gets a headache from too much-too small copy. But other than all that, awesome logo!
-------------------- James Donahue Donahue Sign Arts 1851 E. Union Valley Rd. Seymour TN. (865) 577-3365 brushman@nxs.net
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what's for lunch, Benjamin Franklin Posts: 2057 | From: 1033 W. Union Valley Rd. | Registered: Feb 2003
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Early oilzum logo used on Cleanzum cans [URL=http://s678.photobucket.com/user/Signguyno1/media/EarlieOilzumlogo.jpg.html]
-------------------- Len Mort Signmaker1.com 11 Juniper Drive Millbury, MA 508-865-2382 "A Good Business Sign, is A Sign of Good Business"(1957) Posts: 811 | From: Millbury, Ma | Registered: Dec 2006
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-------------------- Len Mort Signmaker1.com 11 Juniper Drive Millbury, MA 508-865-2382 "A Good Business Sign, is A Sign of Good Business"(1957) Posts: 811 | From: Millbury, Ma | Registered: Dec 2006
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-------------------- Len Mort Signmaker1.com 11 Juniper Drive Millbury, MA 508-865-2382 "A Good Business Sign, is A Sign of Good Business"(1957) Posts: 811 | From: Millbury, Ma | Registered: Dec 2006
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posted
I found a site that says pre 1923 are ok to use. Maybe I will dig further. I did find an old stock certificate print image. Thought it might look good on glass.
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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Chances are, if it's going inside a gallery, none of the people that have a problem with what you're doing will ever see them anyway.
From what I've also heard, if you change or stylize it in any way, it's not a direct copy and not liable.
Most folks are not real observant. If you change a font, or the style of glasses, or a whole facial expression, or type of a hat, or make a panel black with orange lettering instead of orange with black lettering(for instance)......it will not affect the appearance much, and many will not even notice the difference.
Many of those old logos are awesome! And many of those companies were 'here today and gone tomorrow'....long gone.
posted
dale is right. most of the stuff i do with old gas/petro logos is either going on a period vehicle, or inside a car buffs garage/man cave. and i cant tell you hoe many "bowties" FORD blue ovals, or ford script i have done over the years....and never had someone give me grief for doing it. i have some logos i have built for the hotrod fans, like YENKO CHEVY, NICKEY, BALDWIN MOTION......these are logos from the 60's that now people are restoring these cars.....or have a want of logo to display in their garage. lot of PA people will know this one. [IMG][/IMG]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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I think that is in how you interpret the law, Kissy; and that always varies, from state to state and court to court.
Bottom line, the most that companies are trying to stop, is someone's making a gazillion of them, selling them, and making money off them. I don't feel that a job here, and a job there, is going to hurt anything. You've no doubt heard the old quote that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."
What Bobbie's doing, and even what OP and I've done is a speck, in the tremendous pile of knockoffs out there, and I honestly believe we're way below the radar, when it comes to plagerism, in the big picture.
Many moons ago, when designer jeans were so hot, I had the idea to just make up some small embroidered patches in the Jordache, Levis, TommyJeans, etc. logos.....and sell them, so folks could buy them and sew 'em on their Walmart or Sears jeans....save a ton of money. I was WARNED not to do it. That's what they're after.
posted
Thank you dale. I am trying to get back to the glass work I had begun to do. I quit for a while, not feeling well, & I would like to make a few oldie type signs to try to sell.
-------------------- The Word in Signs Bobbie Rochow Jamestown, PA 16134
724-927-6471
thewordinsigns@alltel.net Posts: 3485 | From: Jamestown, PA 16134 | Registered: Oct 2002
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Dale, that came from the copyright attorney I met when I was a state officer for an organization.
The bottom line is if the owner is going to try to enforce it. Typically, the 1st (& only) step would be a cease & desist letter. Usually after receiving one of those, the person stops because the copyright owner usually has a lot more $ to spend on lawyers.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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did these for wifes cousin. the truck was used in the oil fields in oklahoma(67-70)for sinclair. truck was owned then by my wifes uncle!!! lot of restoration money into this one. i did the cans......not the front plate. did the 4' x 4' on alum. [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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Something from over 20 years ago...the actual brand is "CRAYOLA"...I used "CRAYON"...I'm guessing a pretty common play on words for children's signs.
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the only one who are really nasty with enforcement are DISNEY, HANNA BARBARA, ROCKY N BULLWINKLE...WARNER BROS(yosemity, bugs)HARLEY DAVIDSON........ most others dont get antsy unless your mass producing their stuff. doing stock cars all tho years, cant tell you how many oil companies i have done. i did one the 1st cars on the stock track with LUCAS
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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the only one who are really nasty with enforcement are DISNEY, HANNA BARBARA, ROCKY N BULLWINKLE...WARNER BROS(yosemity, bugs)HARLEY DAVIDSON........ most others dont get antsy unless your mass producing their stuff. doing stock cars all tho years, cant tell you how many oil companies i have done. i did one the 1st cars on the stock track with LUCAS, when the guy was selling it outa his garage. STP, QUAKER STATE, VALVOLINE. did race track signs....most all were petro related...panted on walls. GOODYEAR, could do it freehand, HOOSIER TIRE...freehand it too. this is on the rudders of an air boat.....its one of those close but not the warner bros image)))) [IMG][/IMG]
[ June 13, 2014, 05:28 PM: Message edited by: old paint ]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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BUT i have been caught........painting copy protected graphics. like this one. i was working on this in a gas station and putting this on a tow truck. the owner loved the cat. iam in his garage doing this late afternoon in sarasota fl. this guy come into the pumps with a VW BUS, spare tire on the front with a cover on it and on the cover was this GREAT WELL DONE graphic of HAGAR THE HORRIBLE. this was when people put gas in your vehicle, checked the oil/water/etc. so the owner of the van sees me doing the painting/air brush on the tow truck. he comes over and i say...NICE HAGGAR on your van, who painted that? he says .."i did." then he says to me ..."you know my next door neighbor would not be happy with me copying his character on that truck." i said who would that be and he said JIM DAVIS(creator of garfield)and i said hes your neighbor? he said yes and I AM DIK BROWN!!!!!!! well the only thing that saved me.....was i was firend with his daughter and son))))and mentioned it to him.....told him the owner of the truck was a real van of garfield......and i was doing this at his request. [IMG][/IMG]
-------------------- joe pribish-A SIGN MINT 2811 longleaf Dr. pensacola, fl 32526 850-637-1519 BEWARE THE TRUTH.....YOU MAY NOT LIKE WHAT YOU FIND Posts: 11582 | From: pensacola, fl. usa | Registered: Nov 1998
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