Painting Tintin

I just noticed an article on here with a bloke that painted his garage door with Tintin copied artwork. Do Moulinsart crack down on that stuff? I have just painted a copy of Tintin and Snowy on a 3ft square canvas and very nice it looks in my living room. A friend wants me to do one for him and pay me. If I don't make it an exact copy would that upset Moulinsart? What if I did one to sell on fleabay?
I appreciate copyright law so I presume the answer to these questions is a no no. How serious are Moulinsart. Would they come after you and sue? I am talking 2 or 3 picture at most.
Thanks in advance for replies...

As you say, what you are planning on doing is a strict “no no” - never mind if it is a copy, a version or a “new” picture, Moulinsart S.A. hold the copyright in Tintin and Hergé’s work in general, and you certainly don’t have the right to profit from it. You would have the right to make a picture for your own pleasure in your own home, but not to make money from it, and not for anyone else.

As to how you dispose of your work, and whether or not Moulinsart would sue you, this is not the place to discuss the matter: it could be taken that Tintinologist.org was condoning the production of pirate material, and that is contrary to site policy.

There is a distinction between discussing the ins and outs of copyright in theory - as we have done at length - and the specifics of someone such as yourself, who is setting out their stall as a copyist, looking to sell material. I rather think that the discussion cannot offer any further advice in this area.

Thanks for the reply anyway. Fully understand about the discussion. Tintinologist.com is too important to lose. Keep up the good work.

I wouldn't think they'd have any issue with something done for fun at all! If they did, I'd have to have a little talk with whoever runs Moulinsart. Cracking down on good clean fun is just moronic.
You know, maybe you should contact the company and see if you might be able to get your work approved. It's definitely worth a shot!

Courtney

Breaking copyright law is not good, clean fun. However much I enjoy Tintin and would like to see the characters put out in other graven images, I would rather respect M--------- and abide by the rules. That's my two cents though, especially assuming if I interpret the laws correctly.

Breaking copyright law is not good, clean fun.
No, but painting a garage door is. I'm very suspicious of The Big M now, and really wondering whether I should even bother buying from them if they want to be this way. I mean, what'll it be next, The Big M cracking down on news stories that even mention Tintin? Or a kid can't even draw a picture of Tintin for fun or to put on his or her wall? That's just wrong to me, end of story.

Courtney

You are entitled to do what you like in your own home, for your own enjoyment: it is making it available to others - whether or not for financial gain - which is the no-no.

Therefore, within all the relevant laws, you are free to report a news story about Tintin.

Moulinsart really isn’t some ogre in this matter - all media companies are bound legally to protct their material. Disney, Hannah-Barbera, Life Magazine, Lexis-Nexus - you name it, they are all the same.

Oh, good good---I was worried that I was supporting something I didn't really agree with. Now it makes better sense, jock123. Thanks!!!

Courtney

Well all I can do is write to them and ask. I am sure they will only want a cut of the profits? lol. All other Tintin products must be licensed and if those Companies had to declare and pay Moulinsart all monies made they wouldn't bother making anything! Just add Moulinsart's cut to the price :)

David

Well I got a reply.....

Charter
In order to preserve the integrity of the work of Hergé as far as texts, drawings and colours are concerned, we do not allow any changes and/or touching-up, reprography of the albums (scanning, black and white or colour photocopy), collage or pictorial interpretation.

The reproduction of visuals from the work of Hergé is in particular subjected to the following constraints:

1) The following copyright must be placed under or next to all Moulinsart SA visuals: © Hergé/Moulinsart 2005

2) It is not allowed:
- to reproduce visuals from the work of Hergé in a financial, political, medical or paramedical framework or in a context related to weapons and alcohol;
- to reproduce visuals on the cover of a book or a magazine;
- to reproduce in isolation an element from the album covers;
- to use other text than the original one in the phylacteries and to add any text that is not part of the original drawing;
- to use the typography (font) of Hergé outside the visual reproduction itself;
- to alter the colours, the drawings or the orientation of the visuals (e.g.: if Tintin looks to the left, we cannot turn over the drawing so that he looks to the right);
- to make any collage or overlapping (visuals cannot be superimposed on one another, on other pictures or on text and cannot be covered by text);
- to create your own strip or to change the order of the vignettes from the original work;
- to redraw the visuals, even for the purpose of a pattern, a painting, etc.

The visuals provided by the Moulinsart studio are to be used as they are.


We thank you for your understanding and we hope that you will find another exciting solution for your project.

Oh well....