A jester unemployed is nobody's fool! - D.K.

CF&Son Copyright Policies

We do have some caveats (cautions):

We will not knowingly produce a product or take on a commission that, in our opinion, would result in castings, or in the use of said castings, that could be perceived as being indecent, lewd, rude, crude, pre-chewed, generally anti-social, or just in plain ol' bad taste.

Within certain limits, we will not produce a product or take on a commission that involves the inclusion of another entity's copyrighted work or works.  Certain companies and individuals interpret copyright issues very narrowly.  Their philosophy is "If it's a finger, foot or limb... barrel, turret, or brick... watermark, trademark, or birthmark, it doesn't matter.  IT'S OUR'S, so don't use it!"

United States Copyright Law, as recently confirmed by Congress, states that "For works created after January 1, 1978, copyright protection will endure for the life of the author plus an additional 70 years.  In the case of a joint work, the term lasts for 70 years after the last surviving author’s death.  For anonymous and pseudonymous works and works made for hire, the term will be 95 years from the year of first publication or 120 years from the year of creation, whichever expires first;

For works created but not published or registered before January 1, 1978, the term endures for life of the author plus 70 years, but in no case will expire earlier than December 31, 2002.  If the work is published before December 31, 2002, the term will not expire before December 31, 2047;

For pre-1978 works still in their original or renewal term of copyright, the total term is extended to 95 years from the date that copyright was originally secured."

(For further information see "Frequently Asked Questions about Copyright", U.S. Copyright Office, <http://www.copyright.gov/faq.html#q46>)

Which says, taking the preceding information to heart, that most everything someone might want to copy is copyrighted.

We diligently try to keep the non-original inclusions down to itty bitty parts that won't offend the company or individual who originally created and/or markets them.  The Casting Fool & Son™ "List of Doom™" lists the companies and individuals whose works we will absolutely not allow in products or commissions.  If there is any question, we contact the copyright owner and ask if they will grant written permission for us to use their work, in our own product.

Keep in mind that there is no "10 percent change" clause in the United States Copyright Law!  Rather, it states "There are no legal rules permitting the use of a specific number of words, a certain number of musical notes, or percentages of a work [emphasis added].  Whether a particular use qualifies as fair use depends on all the circumstances."

We recommend that clients check all of this out for themselves by visiting the U.S. Copyright Office at <http://www.copyright.gov>.  There is a 1MB PDF file format version available of the United States Copyright Law for download at the website.

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