Print band logo on t-shirt for personal use - illegal?

[Palle 491]

I've trying to find an answer for this but can't find anything, so I'll ask you guys... Recently I watched the Metallica movie called "Through the Never". In this movie, the main character wears a t-shirt with a variation of Metallica's M logo:

The same one I have as my avatar, which I tried to replicate the other day. The picture I posted above is the only one that I can find on the internet and doing a reverse image search with the logo I made shows no results at all. No merch, no fan made logo, just nothing.

Here's my problem... I really want this on a t-shirt.

Could I print this using a service that does it for you if I request it or will it be denied? Since this logo is based on the one I saw and not 100% accurate to the one in the movie, it should be OK technically? If they say "sorry, we can't do this because blah blah copyright", is there anything I could say to make it slip through?

I guess there could be trouble if one of the band's agents ever saw me wearing it but what are the odds of that ever happening... I'm not distributing this, I just want this for personal use.

[Drifter 851]

Trademarked logos are legally not to be duplicated. Even if it is not 100% exact, most trademarks state the "likeness" can not be used without written permission. So you may have issues with the company that  you want to print it for you. If they do print it then technically you would be doing trademark infringement by having it made and wearing it, but far as anything coming from that, I wouldn't hold my breath that anything would happen unless you pass James Hatfield on the street and he says...HEY! lol

[Jason 1,245]

Just make it yourself with a iron on transfer

[Palle 491]

Oh, damn. I guess I'll find one way or another to print it (DIY) and then, virtually nobody will notice it anyway.

Yeah, that would be a not so pleasant to meet with your idol since childhood... Awkward

James Hetfield shouts at me "Hey, where did you get that teesha!

Confused Palle turning around, going into fanboy mode: "Omg, holy shit, James Hetfield? I love your music man, 'tallica forever!" You're the best man!

James Hetfield: Oh thanks, well then... Wait a sec, give me that teesha!

Palle says: No! No way you're taking this, Metallica forever OOOH YEAH!

*RUNS LIKE HELL*

[Drifter 851]

 

Palle says: No! No way you're taking this, Metallica forever OOOH YEAH!

*RUNS LIKE HELL*

 

That would be useless, James would Seek & Destroy  you.  And while James was committing  Battery on you as he shouted Die Die Die my Darlin' you would feel Creeping Death praying for The Day that Never Comes. Then as you Fade to Black you would need a Hero of the Day. Then the One thing left of Palle would be The Memory Remains.

 

Okay I'm done now

[JsinOwl 644]

My first question is, is the logo actually trademarked?

 

Second, is it trademarked in Sweden?

 

Third, make the shirt anyway because it would be awesome.

[JsinOwl 644]

Answer to the first of my questions is yes:

 

http://tmsearch.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4806:numjrn.3.1

[Palle 491]

That would be useless, James would Seek & Destroy you. And while James was committing Battery on you as he shouted Die Die Die my Darlin' you would feel Creeping Death praying for The Day that Never Comes. Then as you Fade to Black you would need a Hero of the Day. Then the One thing left of Palle would be The Memory Remains.

Okay I'm done now

Would never happen because I hit the lights and blind him and run. I would choose my fate and die if it weren't for The Four Horsemen waiting for me so I ride with them. Together we explore Astronomy and look at Orion. I have to Escape. James turns into Some Kind of Monster while we pass a Sanitarium. I can feel his Motorbreath. Suddenly we are twisting and turning Through the Never. It took an eternity even though we could Ride the Lightning, but we made it through. So now Tuesday's Gone and all is Blackened. I lost the horsemen and I find a car but it needs Fuel. I get a phone call from someone saying Damage Inc. are after me. Apparently I know just were they come from. With fear I run and I hear the Frayed Ends of Sanity calling me. I start to feel like I'm Trapped Under Ice. My neck hurts, I think I got a Whiplash damage from the ride through the never. I realize that To Live is To Die and now Nothing Else Matters because I'm One. My t-shirt is the Thing That Should Not Be. I'm happy though because I find a bar and there was Whiskey in the Jar, so I can Binge & Purge myself of my troubles. Some girl was in the bar though so I'm not completely alone any more I guess. She claims to be my girlfriend but I say please leave me alone. That Ain't My Bitch. That's Ronnie's chick. Now I get that Unnamed Feeling. Then I start to Feel Frantic. I'm Fading to Black so I need to Jump in the Fire as quickly as possible. Wherever I May Roam, this isn't a good place. I am the one For Whom the Bell Tolls. Just like Mama Said... No Leaf Clover for me. But I will Fight Fire With Fire and get help from some Disposable Heroes that I met. Now Enter Sandman and I get some rest. The next day, Sad but True, I realize I had drawn the Shortest Straw. I now have a Thorn Within me and it's Bleeding Me... I need the Cure. So I'm going to The House that Jack Built. He's a Prince Charming with Better Than You Attitude, then he ask me if I wanted some Bad Seed. No thank you, could be Cyanide in those. Out of nowhere he shot me, because I'm The Unforgiven.

So I said "Shoot Me Again, Purify me" and as I lay there, Broken Beat & Scarred, I knew I had reached The End of the Line. There is nothing more for me, need the end to set me free... He told me he'd been here waiting for me All Nightmare Long. This is my Apocalypse... Then he shot me again and said "That Was Just Your Life" as I died.

...And Justice For All

[Drifter 851]

....So Fucking What

 

 

 

[Diddums 4,346]

Just do it. Odds are the printing place won't know about the logo and if Metallica want to make an issue of it that'll be a story worth a million dollars to the press. Imagine the headline:

"Metallica sues fan for wearing a shirt with their logo on it"

Imagine the uproar.

[deterioration 443]

I've done shirts with questionable logos. (Ferrari etc...) If you can find a place that will screen the logo fuck the owners. Especially the cunts in Metallica!

 

EDIT: If you weren't so far away I'd offer to get them made for you using my discount.

[cyberninja2601 1,106]

I'm pretty sure it is illegal, but I'm also pretty that for a few t-shirt no one will give a shit and the t-shirt place would print it.

 

I you went in for to have 1000 shirts made, it would be a different story. People protect their trademark to prevent other people making money based on their brand. I really don't think that's the case here and deterioration said I don't think they would want type of publicity 

[Palle 491]

I'm gonna try submitting it to a few places and see what they say.

If everyone says no I'll print it myself... Seems difficult/expensive though? I want a really bright red color like the one in the picture on a black t-shirt.

[J4MES OX4D 10,035]

As long as the logo doesn't contain any visible trademarks; I can't see why a firm wouldn't do a custom t-shirt with the logo on. Just don't give them any ideas as to what it is and all should be good. There wouldn't be any repercussions to you or the business if a few t-shirts are printed for yourself and I don't think any awkward questions will be raised either. 

 

It's mainly sellers on eBay that print 1,000+ of Call of Duty t-shirts and other valuable protected brands that cause a stir. I remember seeing something on the news ages ago in the UK when a small company was doing videogame memorabilia clothing and they sold tens of thousands of t-shirts for £12 or so with trademarked brands on Fruit of the Loom blank t-shirts and they made a fair few hundred thousand out of it. That's the shit they're clamping down on but any independent shop or online business who you send the logo to may just do it without raising an eyebrow as long as you don't give them the full explanation of the score