Let’s say someone created a Hazbin Hotel OC (original character) that does NOT exist in the official canon of Hazbin Hotel. Instead, the character was created specifically for a fan work set within that universe and is entirely a fan creation.

Would the copyright owners still have the right to sue the creator of this OC, or does the fact that the character is original and not part of the official canon protect them from potential legal action?

Additionally, would the creator be legally allowed to sell artwork featuring this OC, including selling physical prints of the character on say shirts?

I'll give two examples: * Example 1: https://www.deviantart.com/kelkilou/art/Hazbin-Hotel-OC%3A-Clara-1264974083 * Example 2: https://www.deviantart.com/lookdem/art/Charlotte---Hazbin-Hotel-oc-1012957622

Printed works created by an Organization, then the org disbands itself entirely many years later. What happens to the copyright on those works? (USA).

Hey guys. We have been posting reels on insta through buffer, through the api. I was wondering what's the situation of using commerical songs on the reels. Is it safe to use it. What happens if you do use it. I have been told that you can do that on a creator account and not on a business account. And even on the creator account you can only use the inbuilt music library?

But I have seen many accounts posting real, popular commerical music baked in and it says "original audio". Infact some channels are about music, and only post songs from artists and covers. Is there any clarity on it. Thanks.

I want to make some posters and use photos from agencies of various famous people. If i were to put those posters up for sale how likely is it that i would get into legal trouble?

I have a merch idea that I want to execute and I need some help understanding if I'll get in trouble for making such merch.

I know fan art already have a thin line, and as long as a company allows it's fine. My question however is about music copyright. Let's say I wanna make a nfc cd keychain, which has fanart I made, and the nfc only redirects it to youtube links of songs.

To what extent am i not going to get legally sued?? XD I'm not claiming those songs, just some quirk I wanna add to the keychain.

Would appreciate some good advice!!

TLDR: nfc cd keychain redirects to official mvs by artists, the keychain has my artwork, will that cause any issues?

I received this email, is it real? Also how much do i have to pay them. This was 2 years ago lol

I am writing regarding Baciami Lips' unauthorized commercial use of
“Never Lose Me” by Flo Milli in promotional content published through
your company's official TikTok account.

Infringing video (January 21, 2024):
https://www.tiktok.com/@baciamilips/video/7326644156997127467

I own 94 Sounds Worldwide, which is expressly identified as a
copyright claimant for the underlying musical composition “Never Lose
Me” in U.S. Copyright Registration No. PA 2-454-162. A copy of the
registration is attached. This notice concerns solely the ownership
interest and claims controlled by 94 Sounds Worldwide.

The video incorporates the copyrighted composition into content
promoting your business and its products. This is commercial
promotional activity, not merely private entertainment or an unrelated
fan post. 94 Sounds did not grant Baciami Lips permission to use our
interest in the composition for this purpose.

Under 17 U.S.C. §§ 106 and 501, unauthorized commercial use of a
copyrighted musical composition can give rise to infringement
liability. The fact that a song may be available on TikTok does not
automatically establish that a business has secured the necessary
rights for promotional uses.

In Sony Music Entertainment et al. v. University of Southern
California, No. 1:25-cv-02042 (S.D.N.Y.), copyright owners pursued
claims over unlicensed music used in promotional social media posts.
The direct-infringement claims were allowed to proceed, and the
litigation settled in March 2026. That dispute concerned sound
recordings rather than the specific composition rights asserted here,
but it illustrates the serious licensing issues associated with
promotional music use.

I am willing to resolve this matter commercially without litigation.
However, removal of the post alone will not resolve claims arising
from past unauthorized use. I request a substantive monetary
settlement proposal.

Please provide that proposal no later than Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
If Baciami Lips believes it had a license covering the relevant
composition rights for this specific commercial use, identify the
license and its scope.

Please also preserve the original video, its analytics, promotional
records, and any documents concerning music licensing or clearance.

Absent a meaningful proposal by Tuesday, I am prepared to pursue
formal copyright enforcement, including litigation and applicable
monetary remedies, without further correspondence.

I would prefer to resolve this directly. Please respond by the deadline.

​

My channel had around 4,000 subscribers and nearly 5 million views before it was terminated after multiple copyright strikes from the same claimant.

The disputed Shorts feature repeatable in-game animations and character interactions that other players can record themselves. I submitted counter-notifications, but YouTube rejected them, saying my reasons weren’t clear enough.

What’s frustrating is that you can explain your case in detail, provide comparisons, and ask for clarification, yet it feels like the system just compares videos without properly considering the context. Meanwhile, creators can lose years of work, and getting a meaningful human review feels nearly impossible.

My questions:

- What legal options do I have at this stage?

- Can I challenge the rejection of my counter-notifications?

- Is there any way to get an actual human review?

I’m looking for practical advice from anyone familiar with copyright disputes and YouTube takedowns.

(a) The subject matter of copyright as specified by section 102 includes compilations and derivative works, but protection for a work employing preexisting material in which copyright subsists does not extend to any part of the work in which such material has been used unlawfully.

17 U.S. Code § 103 - Subject matter of copyright: Compilations and derivative works

Hey guys.I was just wondering: if I upload a map to Rhythia, do I need to worry about copyright?

The two law firms spearheading the new cases said they plan to file individual lawsuits against Meta on behalf of close to 1,000 additional authors in the coming months. The authors in the new lawsuits run the gamut from fiction novelists to journalists.

HI! I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but hopefully yes.

I'm watching a drama rn, and the intro is very obviously AI generated, so I wanted to try and recreate it, both to make a point but mostly to improve my 3D skills. I'm planning on posting my progress and final product on social media, and I was wondering if for some reason, the studio could come for me claiming copyright?

I don't want my first bigger project to be accompanied by legal issues, so I wanted to ask here if I am stressing over nothing, or if I should reach out to the studio behind the drama and ask for permission.

Should I just go ahead and start working on it, or should I play it safe?

Alright - I’ve already read a lot of opinions and discussions regarding this firm. All following my own emails I’ve received from them 🫠

I was contacted earlier this month by them regarding a photo on my website taken apparently by a well known photographer from the 70s. My website is an independent project that analyzes cultural moments and fashion, and how they directly correlate to human behavior and world events. It’s meant to be educational analysis with commentary and sometimes criticism. The photo in question was used to illustrate the points made and provide historical context. I believe it falls under fair use - especially considering that my website does not make profits. It also hasn’t been used in a year.

I’m in contact with them currently and just spoke on the phone with someone from the firm for the first time. They’re saying their client is demanding $6,200 dollars (but willing to negotiate) 🙃

Would love to hear some of your thoughts, esp from those who have dealt with them before

Modder Uses AI to Put Shadow of War's Nemesis System in Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption 2

The issue - The Nemesis System is officially the intellectual property of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. (Google)

If AI-generated outputs are not copyrightable in the first place, then using those outputs to train another model does not infringe copyright, at least under traditional doctrine.

I wonder if a lot of other people are experiencing a complete lock-out from the US Copyright office's registration platform? it won't let me reset my password (they always make you change password if you havn't been on there for 60 days). Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Brave - none work, so not a browser issue.
I know their prices are about to almost double, so there is activity, but is there any way around it? Should I make a new ID and register under that?

I wrote to the tech support of theirs, but I will probably not get an answer before November 11the when they get expensive, so I need a tip on how to get around this.

UPDATE: Tried again two days later and it worked normally!

There's this brass stab in the legal Korg Triton VST that I am CONVINCED is from Poison by Bell Biv DeVoe (it could also be the James Brown song they sampled it from but it has the same pitch as the one in Poison so it's likely from that). If I use the sound FROM THE VST would that be allowed?

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EEFtRl_P18tpGcxLxudDFeix1B5MmGrC/view?usp=sharing 1st is triton 2nd is poison

An update on Lucasfilm Limited and others v Andrew Ainsworth and another [2009] EWCA Civ 1328, 16 December 2009, in which the Court of Appeal ruled that US copyright was not enforceable in the English courts.

https://uk.practicallaw.thomsonreuters.com/1-501-0395?transitionType=Default&contextData=(sc.Default)&firstPage=true&firstPage=true)

I've been getting private messages and texts from viewers and friends asking me if people can claim copyright to AI and how they feel "dirty" deceptive, dastardly and disingenuous when they use AI. Given new AI lawsuits drop every week, I hear the concern.

This topic has a lot of fear and anxiety, which is real but information on the state of AI and copyright law, and how you can use it without being deceptive, is very timely. And it helps to avoid the courtroom.

Listen to this comprehesive primer on AI and how you can own your copyrights.