Can I use movie quotes from Disney in my photos?
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Can I use movie quotes from Disney in my photos?
I take pictures for people at Disneyland and was wondering if it’s safe to add Disney quotes in the photos and “quotation” them with a mickey symbol/logo next to it? Is it violating any rules? I want to add Disney quotes in my photos as a photographer service.
Asked on June 13, 2011 under Business Law, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Unfortunately yes--it is against the law. What you propose would prevent a charge of "plagarism" against you; that is, it couldn't be claimed that you were trying to pass the quote off as your own. But copyright law has nothing to do with plagarism per se; it's about using another's copyrighted material, even with attribution, without their permission. The quotes belong to Disney, and they have an absolute right to determine who may use them, how. You may certainly contact Disney's licensing office and see what they would charge for giving you the right to do this--it might be reasonable. But don't use Disney property without their permission; they have a repuation for very zealously defending their rights and property.
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