Using licensed cartoon characters in library story times

July 14, 2005 @ 1:15pmTrudyHill says:
I am the Children's Coordinator at a Public Library. My question has to do with using licensed cartoon characters as part of various themes for weekly story times. For example, Week 1, Learn more about weather with Dora the Explorer. Week 2, Math with Big Bird. Week 3, Art with Barney, etc. We would use purchased items such as books, puppets, figures, etc. of these characters. We publish a newletter that is mailed to patrons as well as distributed in house. Would we be in violation of any copyright law by mentioning the characters in this newsletter? Or by using the characters in the programs?
July 15, 2005 @ 5:25amCOvalle says:
First one's easy- you probably wouldn't be violating copyright law by mentioning the characters. Names aren't copyrightable. You probably wouldn't be violating trademark law, either, since you're not using the names for a commercial use, and in fact are using the names to describe the actual character.

The second part of your question isn't as cut and dried, but I think you've got a good case. Since you are a public library and are using them in an educational context, I'd say you had a really really strong fair use argument, particularly since you even purchased the products in question.

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