QUESTION

How can I get permission to reprint Peanuts cartoons for the purpose of embroidery of exact cartoon, framing, and displaying?

Asked on Aug 11th, 2013 on Business Law - Arizona
More details to this question:
I have done hand-embroideries of some Peanuts cartoons cut out of the funny papers. I give all credit to the author Schultz just as it appears in the paper. Recently, however, I purchased a book with Peanuts cartoons. Therein, it says: "No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the Publisher." I have looked online trying to get more information about MetroBooks and Henry Holt and Company, but am having trouble find out more about my specific question. I have found places online that have Peanuts embroidery software for sale. How in the world did they get that permission???
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1 ANSWER

Appellate Practice Attorney serving New York, NY
If you want to use Peanuts characters in any commercial venture, you have to pay the owner of those rights, either to purchase the rights outright, or more likely to license the rights for a period of time.  Like other owners of the rights to famous characters (e.g. Spider Man, Dora the Explorer, etc.), I've no doubt that the owners of the Peanuts rights licene the rights to use the Peanuts characters in a variety of ways.  For example, one manufacturer may pay (probably a guarantied minimum against a percentage of royalties) for the exclusive right to use Peanuts characters on lunch boxes sold in the U.S., another for the rights to use them on lunch boxes sold in Europe, while another may contract for the exclusive rights to use Peanuts characters on t-shirts, and another for exclusive rights to Peanuts greeting cards.    Assuming that the rights owners have not already licensed the rights to use Peanuts characters on embroidery designs, you may be able to purchase or license such rights, but it will be expensive.  Licensing of characters is big business.
Answered on Aug 12th, 2013 at 11:35 AM

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