T Signage & Copyrights?

Well, I doubt they (C) the station names, ie Orient Heights = a section of town, Harvard etc!

Im assuming if your gonna make the signs for a rediculous profit, they would shun on it, but im guessing if you made a few for yourself, I dont think they would really care (but you do never know!)

A trademark is a word, phrase, symbol or design, or a combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, that identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods of one party from those of others.

Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of “original works of authorship,” including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.

See www.uspto.gov

I would assume the MBTA signage design concept is "intellectual property" of Cambridge Seven Associates, not the MBTA. They were the ones who came up with it.

http://www.c7a.com/Portfolio/transporta ... zation.asp#

The United States government is not legally allowed to copyright material. Whether this extends to state government (or quasi-governmental agencies) is an interesting question.

Quasi-federal agencies (Amtrak included) can be be allowed to copyright material as the restrictions on federal government agencies apply only to executive branch departments and agencies and the legslative branch (Congress). The law varies with state and local governments, with some states allowed copyright on government work, others not.

7 Train wrote:Quasi-federal agencies (Amtrak included) can be be allowed to copyright material as the restrictions on federal government agencies apply only to executive branch departments and agencies and the legslative branch (Congress). The law varies with state and local governments, with some states allowed copyright on government work, others not.

Those must be state policies or state constitutional provisions. Copyright is a federal law and all states are free to copyright should they desire to do so.

dudeursistershot wrote:The United States government is not legally allowed to copyright material. Whether this extends to state government (or quasi-governmental agencies) is an interesting question.

It applies to federal government entities, but not states, which are free to copyright material. Note that by federal statute, Amtrak is not a federal entity (stock was distributed to a number of freight railroads upon Amtrak's inception) and therefore is not restricted.

jwhite07 wrote:I would assume the MBTA signage design concept is "intellectual property" of Cambridge Seven Associates, not the MBTA. They were the ones who came up with it.

http://www.c7a.com/Portfolio/transporta ... zation.asp#

That would be unusual. Generally the copyright is transferred to the entity that paid for the work for things like logos, designs, etc. for a specific client, by the contract. I suspect MBTA owns the copyright, or at a minimum, has control over it.

The USPS (also a quasi-federal agency) holds copyrights on stamps, but only those issued since 1978. The copyright laws are complex and varies specifically on each agency and branch of government involved. When in doubt, contact the agency in question directly.

Pittsburgh's light rail is called the T and also has a T inside a circle logo (the T is slightly different though).

regarding copyrights i'm not sure what the policy is over basic words, i understand one cant copyright a basic word on its own like one cant own the word "four" in all uses but they can copyright the word "four" when used as for the name of say a clothing company.

then again i heard mcdonald's tried to sue the scottish clan mcdonald for having their name.

The Minneapolis/St.Paul Metro Transit system uses the very SAME T logo. It must not be copyrighted. Their web site shows their T logo white on red-the very SAME T logo. Go to www.metrotransit.com for more info. MACTRAXX

Stockholm, Sweden also uses T-in-a-circle logo for its metro. I've even heard that it was the inspiration for the MBTA's use of the symbol.

Same idea- a T in a circle... but there are enough differences (like the distance between the two cities!) to make them unique.