Are we breaking the law????

[jlt13th]

Hello.I have two questions for anyone out there who may have an answer. Heres the story:Ive been building one off replica models of the fishing boat used in the movie "Jaws" and selling them on Ebay as "model boat from the Jaws movie".Since each one is different as far as size goes (meaning I aint mass producing the exact hull pattern over and over) I was told by my family lawyer this is ok and aint illegal,however he admits this aint his department.So my first question is-is this illegal?

My second question:My friend and I are wanting to produce a kit for the boat with a company in China,but were not gonna sell it using the "Jaws" name.Its gonna look just like the Jaws boat but were just planning on selling it under the title of "shark fishing boat".Are there any legal issues with doing this?

Thanks

 

[presutin]

You are going to be using the likeness of the boat from the movie and many courts have ruled that as copywright infringement. Before you mass produce anything, make sure you consult with a copywright attorney in your area. Good Luck!

 

[jlt13th]

Thanks for the reply. I should have also pointed out that the boat in question was an actual boat before Universal purchased it for the film.However they did redesign it,so perhaps the same copyright rules imply?

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Thanks for the reply. I should have also pointed out that the boat in question was an actual boat before Universal purchased it for the film.However they did redesign it,so perhaps the same copyright rules imply?

If you sold it as "the same model boat as the one used in Jaws" then you've got a different story. I wonder about rights the boat manufacturer may have.