Copyright issues? Parody?

Question

Ok, I got a movie picture on the net (Alien vs Predator). Lets say, I edit the pic with photoshop by putting my face in the movie pic and include a few liner eg. Alien Vince & Predator or "Whoever wins, I win".

And I decide to feature the picture in my blog for humor with my friends, also, my blog does not have Google Adsense or profitable agendas. Purely for fun. I will also put a link/reference of where i found the movie pic.

Question is: Will I get sued by the movie's company in areas like copyright issues or infringment rights? Or will it be treated as a parody or perhaps nothing serious?

Thanks for reading and solutions!

Answer 1

Fan art would be you drawing it.

If you're just modifying a picture, you're always technically violating copyright.  See the right to parody doesn't include the right to use someone else's original artwork in that parody.  You can't take a copy of a Harry Potter movie and replace the word "quidditch" with "asshockey" and then claim it is protected as parody, as funny as that might be.

As for will you get sued, if it was Disney, they'd sure want to, but as its just you goofing about go ahead.  If someone complains, just take it down in a "timely manner."

Answer 2

Copright can be a sticky mess. But usually if you 'cite the source' and, in this case, state that it is a parody, I think you'll be fine. Besides, you're not selling anything.

If you want to read about copyright, there is a monster article in Wiki, which I'll leave a link to for you.

Most authors of books who parody another book or piece of writing... Well, for example, right now I'm reading "Lamb: (a novel) The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore, which obviously won't have problems with a currently copyrighted piece, but does edge toward outrage, and has a disclaimer, the usual: "This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real...' etc.

There is also the 'Author's Blessing': "If you have come to these pages for laughter, may you find it. If you are here to be offended, may your ire rise and your blood boil. If you seek an adventure, may this story sing you away to blissful escape. If you need to test or confirm your beliefs, may you reach comfortable conclusions. All books reveal perfection, by what they are or what they are not. May you find what you seek, in these pages or outside them. May you find perfection, and know it by name."

I tell you these things to give you ideas how to handle your parody without danger of angering a mammoth movie studio. Disclaimer, humorous (and true) acknowledgements, citing sources, making it really clear it's 'for fun' should all keep you in the clear, plus the BIG truth that you are not selling a thing.

If you still want to read about copyright:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

... which when I just now glanced at it I see has gotten murkier due to the 'net.

Answer 3

Nope, it's classed a fanart. As long as you don't make a profit or claim to own the copyright, then you're ok.