I'm looking to sell Disney and Sports paintings that I have done but I don't know how the copyright works?

Question

Looking to find out who I can contact about selling this type of art.

Answer 1

I wouldn't touch anything Disney with a ten-foot pole. It matters not if you change the image slightly - if you're trying to sell your work on the premise that it emulates anything Disney, you are playing with fire. Copyright law includes "derivative" work as well. You could likely not afford to go against their lawyers in court.

I really don't believe calling something a painting as opposed to an illustration would make any difference in the eyes of the law.

Nor should you use the image of any sports player without their written permission. Their likenesses are not public domain - that's covered under "right of publicity" and other laws.

Here's a site listing various copyright laws... pretty dry reading, unfortunately. But remember, copyright laws were made to protect artists, not punish them.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sup_01_17.html

Answer 2

As long as you alter the original by a certain percent ( and I have no idea how they determine what this percentage is, nor how they determine how far from the original it is), you can sell it. Sports I wouldn't worry about quite as much, but Disney has been known to sue artists for using their characters.

I would advise selling the paintings ONLY as paintings, NOT as illustrations. Meaning, it's not likely that Disney will come after you if the paintings will be seen only in a person's home, but if the images end up reproduced in a magazine or advertisement, they will probably be more likely to see them, and therefore more likely to sue. Also the commercial connotations of an illustration vs. a painting would make them more likely to overlook any copyright infringements done by a strict "artist".

Furthermore, the less you sell them for, the less likely they are to sue.

Answer 3

Disney can sue you if you are using their images. They own the copyright on their own creative endeavors, not you.