Instructions: how to make money on Internet memes
Step number 1 - create or find a meme
Step 2 - protect it (preferably quickly and from “different” sides) with rights
Step number 3 - get a reward for use
It is clear that creating an Internet meme is not an easy task. Purposefully it turns out rarely, more often a meme is created quite by accident. But if the case you smiled, then you should not yawn. Go quickly to the second step.
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The brother of the cat owner posted a photo of the animal on Reddit. After the cat became popular, he was brought to the official website and Facebook page.
The monetization of the image is striking in its diversity: mugs, t-shirts, already three books, a film is being prepared, a license for the Grumppuccino drink.
Profit is not disclosed, but is estimated at about $ 100 million ( data for 2014).
What allowed to get such an income? Literate approach to the registration of intellectual property rights on the Internet meme.
The hosts founded Grumpy Cat Limited and registered a series of trademarks in the United States and other countries. This made it possible to maintain a monopoly on the use of the image of a cat and the verbal designation of Grumpy Cat. They produce their own souvenirs and issue licenses for using the image to third parties.
This is surprising, but the company is even suing trademark infringers - by Grenade Beverages LLC. Grumpy Cat Limited requires $ 150 thousand for violating the license agreement and $ 100 thousand for using the domains drinkgrumpycat.com and grumpycat.com (sales from the sites are temporarily suspended ).
In 2011, British photographer David Slater (David Slater) filmed crested baboons at the zoo. Absent and left the equipment in the public domain for monkeys. One of the most intelligent nicknamed Naruto made a lot of pictures, including several successful selfies.
The photographer told about this case and began to sell licenses for the photo. But the happiness did not last long. Some lawyer-savvy blogger suggested that monkey selfies are not protected by copyright and the photographer’s rights did not arise, since the monkey was pressing the machine button. Wikipedia took advantage of this idea and placed the photo in its repository, where everyone could download it for free. License deductions stopped. The photographer tried to protest and argued with Wikipedia, but did not go to court, resigned to the situation.
Moreover, a monkey itself (in the person of the zoo) later filed a lawsuit against it and tried to seek compensation for violating its copyright. The court acted prudently and denied the monkey, justifying it by the fact that until the American Congress passes the animal copyright law, their rights do not exist and, therefore, are not protected.
What was the mistake of the photographer?
He misjudged the risks associated with his copyright. In principle, this scenario could have been foreseen. A lawsuit from a monkey is unlikely, but the loss (or rather “non-occurrence”) of one’s own rights is complete.
And if there was a risk, then it was necessary to take additional measures to protect the image - as in the first example. It was possible to register the photo as a trademark and then even in the absence of copyright such an image would be subject to protection.
If the image of a person becomes a meme, then an additional method of protection arises - this is the right to own image. So, the Technoviking meme got through court only a small compensation for using video with it on youtube.com - € 15 thousand. Moreover, the court refused to compensate for moral damage of € 10 thousand.
This did not help to stop the distribution of his images on T-shirts , key rings , mugs , etc.
By skipping the second step in the instructions, without registering intellectual rights, in the third step you can reap only very modest fruits and you cannot build a hundred millionth empire on the distribution of a popular image.
Everything is quite simple - when registering intellectual property rights, you must act quickly and creatively. Now you do not miss your chance.
PS If you know more examples, please share in the comments.
Step 2 - protect it (preferably quickly and from “different” sides) with rights
Step number 3 - get a reward for use
It is clear that creating an Internet meme is not an easy task. Purposefully it turns out rarely, more often a meme is created quite by accident. But if the case you smiled, then you should not yawn. Go quickly to the second step.
')
Example 1 (successful)
The brother of the cat owner posted a photo of the animal on Reddit. After the cat became popular, he was brought to the official website and Facebook page.
The monetization of the image is striking in its diversity: mugs, t-shirts, already three books, a film is being prepared, a license for the Grumppuccino drink.
Profit is not disclosed, but is estimated at about $ 100 million ( data for 2014).
What allowed to get such an income? Literate approach to the registration of intellectual property rights on the Internet meme.
The hosts founded Grumpy Cat Limited and registered a series of trademarks in the United States and other countries. This made it possible to maintain a monopoly on the use of the image of a cat and the verbal designation of Grumpy Cat. They produce their own souvenirs and issue licenses for using the image to third parties.
This is surprising, but the company is even suing trademark infringers - by Grenade Beverages LLC. Grumpy Cat Limited requires $ 150 thousand for violating the license agreement and $ 100 thousand for using the domains drinkgrumpycat.com and grumpycat.com (sales from the sites are temporarily suspended ).
Example 2 (less successful)
In 2011, British photographer David Slater (David Slater) filmed crested baboons at the zoo. Absent and left the equipment in the public domain for monkeys. One of the most intelligent nicknamed Naruto made a lot of pictures, including several successful selfies.
The photographer told about this case and began to sell licenses for the photo. But the happiness did not last long. Some lawyer-savvy blogger suggested that monkey selfies are not protected by copyright and the photographer’s rights did not arise, since the monkey was pressing the machine button. Wikipedia took advantage of this idea and placed the photo in its repository, where everyone could download it for free. License deductions stopped. The photographer tried to protest and argued with Wikipedia, but did not go to court, resigned to the situation.
Moreover, a monkey itself (in the person of the zoo) later filed a lawsuit against it and tried to seek compensation for violating its copyright. The court acted prudently and denied the monkey, justifying it by the fact that until the American Congress passes the animal copyright law, their rights do not exist and, therefore, are not protected.
What was the mistake of the photographer?
He misjudged the risks associated with his copyright. In principle, this scenario could have been foreseen. A lawsuit from a monkey is unlikely, but the loss (or rather “non-occurrence”) of one’s own rights is complete.
And if there was a risk, then it was necessary to take additional measures to protect the image - as in the first example. It was possible to register the photo as a trademark and then even in the absence of copyright such an image would be subject to protection.
Example 3 (usually always happens)
If the image of a person becomes a meme, then an additional method of protection arises - this is the right to own image. So, the Technoviking meme got through court only a small compensation for using video with it on youtube.com - € 15 thousand. Moreover, the court refused to compensate for moral damage of € 10 thousand.
This did not help to stop the distribution of his images on T-shirts , key rings , mugs , etc.
findings
By skipping the second step in the instructions, without registering intellectual rights, in the third step you can reap only very modest fruits and you cannot build a hundred millionth empire on the distribution of a popular image.
Everything is quite simple - when registering intellectual property rights, you must act quickly and creatively. Now you do not miss your chance.
PS If you know more examples, please share in the comments.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/298094/
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