Copyright in the logos, fonts and artwork printed on trims often does not belong to whoever places the order. A printer is, in law, the party that reproduces and distributes, which is why any serious factory asks one question before running a job: do you hold the rights to this artwork? This guide splits licensing into three situations, explains what font and stock-image licences really cover, lists the documents to hold on file, sets out the real cost of infringement, and ends with a clearance checklist you can copy.

1. Why the Factory Asks About Rights First

Artwork on a hang tag, woven label or packaging bag is, in law, a reproduction: the factory makes the plates, prints and delivers, which amounts to reproducing and distributing. The three usual sources sit in completely different positions — a brand's own trademark is normally safe, a client brand's artwork needs a written mandate, and third-party IP such as cartoon characters, club crests or artists' work needs a formal licence from the rights holder. Asking is not distrust; it is how a batch is protected.

2. The Three Licensing Situations and What Each Requires

  • Own trademark: a registration certificate or filing receipt is enough; ideal coverage is both Class 16 (paper goods and printing) and Class 25 (clothing), not just one of them
  • Contract manufacturing: the brand issues a written mandate stating products, quantities, scope of artwork and validity; the factory keeps it on file, and any reorder beyond that scope needs a fresh confirmation
  • Licensed third-party IP: the chain must be complete — rights holder to licensee, licensee to this order — and the licence must cover the goods (paper goods, packaging), the territory and the term
Three frequent gaps: a licence to manufacture garments is not a licence to print tags; a licence for one territory is not global; and licences expire, so cross-year orders need a renewal check. These three are the usual mismatches and the first things an audit finds.

3. Fonts: The Most Overlooked Copyright Risk

A typeface is a licensed software product, and printing it on a tag, package or woven label is reproduction plus distribution with goods, normally outside any free personal-use licence. There are only three safe routes: prefer open-licensed fonts (such as SIL OFL families), buy a commercial licence that explicitly covers printed goods, or use the brand wordmark as a graphic device — provided the licence terms allow it.

Two practical points follow. A customer's logo file usually arrives with the text already converted to outlines, and the font risk then sits with the customer; but if we substitute a font, re-typeset or build multilingual versions, font licensing must be re-checked — rewriting and reproducing are two different things.

4. Artwork, Photography and AI-Generated Images

  • Stock assets: a standard licence usually covers internal use or a limited print run; printed items sold with goods often need an extended licence, so read the terms before ordering
  • Commissioned photo and illustration: state ownership, scope of use and sublicensing in the contract; an invoice alone is not a rights document
  • AI-generated images: in most jurisdictions copyright protection for purely AI-generated content is still being settled; registering it as a trademark or claiming exclusive use on a tag is risky, so treat it as support imagery
  • Cartoon characters and club crests: the highest-frequency infringement zone. Even a 20 mm woven label counts; a factory that sees no licence will decline the job

5. Documents to Prepare Before and After Ordering

Situation Document required How we handle it
Own brand Trademark certificate or filing receipt Kept on file, with the trademark number noted on the order file
Contract manufacturing Brand mandate: products, quantities, term Checked order by order; anything beyond scope is re-confirmed
Licensed IP The complete licence chain We verify goods, territory and term
Fonts and stock assets Licence screenshot or contract page Spot-check the source of artwork and fonts
Change of artwork Written change confirmation Re-signed before re-plating, and the old file is voided

6. What Infringement Actually Costs

Marketplaces delist and penalise, customs can seize goods — once a brand records its IP with customs, border checks can stop a shipment outright — and the rights holder may claim damages and demand destruction. For a brand the dearest cost is rarely the damages but the delayed season and the hit to account standing; for a factory it is a production line waiting on paperwork. Asking early is always cheaper.

Note: when in doubt, ask the brand for a one-page rights confirmation rather than starting on a verbal OK. That page is the only evidence either side can produce if a dispute arises — and orders with complete paperwork usually sample and schedule faster.

7. Clearance Checklist Before Sampling

  • Source of the artwork: own trademark, client-supplied or third-party asset
  • Trademark status, number, and whether classes cover printed goods and apparel
  • Does the font licence cover printed goods, and the multilingual versions too
  • Licensed IP: goods covered, territory and term
  • Are client documents signed and stamped, and clearly archived
  • Any artwork change confirmed in writing, with the old file voided

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Printing a logo, a custom typeface or multilingual versions? Send us the artwork, your trademark status and quantities; we will review the clearance position before sampling and then advise on layout and process: samples in 3 to 7 days, bulk in 10 to 25 days, flexible minimums.

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