It would be ok to use trademark logos in my portfolio

[insaniacgrr]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? My state is Florida

Good day to everyone. Im an entry level graphic designer and i had a few concerns regarding logos and copyright infringements.

I want to make a portfolio for my futures interviews and i was thinking on using low resolution logos on google and vectorize it on Illustrator, to add the skills of vectorizing to my potfolio. Now those logos are as known as landrover and pepsi. An another ones are generic logos. My two questions are: Can I use this logos on my portfolio even though that im not stating i made them just show my skills of trace them and change the resolution of it? And It would be professional use them on my portfolio knowing that the Logos made by another ones. They are just examples of what i can do on the Adobe programs as an graphic designer.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? My state is Florida

Good day to everyone. Im an entry level graphic designer and i had a few concerns regarding logos and copyright infringements.

I want to make a portfolio for my futures interviews and i was thinking on using low resolution logos on google and vectorize it on Illustrator, to add the skills of vectorizing to my potfolio. Now those logos are as known as landrover and pepsi. An another ones are generic logos. My two questions are: Can I use this logos on my portfolio even though that im not stating i made them just show my skills of trace them and change the resolution of it? And It would be professional use them on my portfolio knowing that the Logos made by another ones. They are just examples of what i can do on the Adobe programs as an graphic designer.

You can demonstrate your skills using generic logos. I recommend you use these, so false conclusions are not drawn with your use of the registered logos.

Good luck.

 

[Mnemosyne]

You can demonstrate your skills using generic logos. I recommend you use these, so false conclusions are not drawn with your use of the registered logos.

Good luck.

I agree with quincy. It also strikes me that you may want to create your own logo, incorporating your name or initials, to use for the same purpose. It would both demonstrate your skills and leave potential clients with an image to remember you by.

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? My state is Florida

... Now those logos are as known as landrover and pepsi. ...

Here are links to the Land Rover terms and conditions of use and to the Pepsi Company terms and conditions of use, to show you how protective companies are of their IP rights:

http://www.landrover.com/terms-and-conditions.html
http://www.pepsico.com/Legal/TermsOfUse

I really like the suggestion offered you by Mnemosyne. I have also heard of new designers offering their services for free or a nominal fee to a few "mom and pop" stores, designing logos for their stores that show off their skills. This benefits the store owner and this helps the designer build a portfolio of work that they can use in their promotional materials.

 

[insaniacgrr]

Thanks for your help. I was considering make my owns but if decide to do that it will be a lot of time dedicate it to logos without meaning other than a portfolio. That's why i thought use ones that already were made. I can go to mom and pop stores but it will take months to build a portfolio and the idea was prepare one in a few weeks, scince I'm looking for jobs now.

Quincy thanks for the links i read them but now i have another questions. On both of them said that i cant use the logos for commercial use, but they said i can use them for personal use. Show my portfolio of skills to an employer will be commercial use?

 

[Zigner]

Thanks for your help. I was considering make my owns but if decide to do that it will be a lot of time dedicate it to logos without meaning other than a portfolio. That's why i thought use ones that already were made. I can go to mom and pop stores but it will take months to build a portfolio and the idea was prepare one in a few weeks, scince I'm looking for jobs now.

Quincy thanks for the links i read them but now i have another questions. On both of them said that i cant use the logos for commercial use, but they said i can use them for personal use. Show my portfolio of skills to an employer will be commercial use?

If your career means so little that don't feel it's worth it to dedicate some time...then find a new career.

 

[insaniacgrr]

If your career means so little that don't feel it's worth it to dedicate some time...then find a new career.

is not that I dont find meaning. Is that I dont want to spend time in a creation that it will stay in just a sample and nothing else. If I create something i want that more than just employers to see it. I want it to mean something more.

 

[quincy]

Thanks for your help. I was considering make my owns but if decide to do that it will be a lot of time dedicate it to logos without meaning other than a portfolio. That's why i thought use ones that already were made. I can go to mom and pop stores but it will take months to build a portfolio and the idea was prepare one in a few weeks, scince I'm looking for jobs now.

Quincy thanks for the links i read them but now i have another questions. On both of them said that i cant use the logos for commercial use, but they said i can use them for personal use. Show my portfolio of skills to an employer will be commercial use?

You will impress more with a portfolio filled with logos you created yourself than you will with logos appropriated from other companies who are known to be protective of their rights.

If you build your portfolio by using registered trademarks, not only will your use of these be limited in scope (you cannot use them in any promotional materials like in brochures or on websites), any company you approach with your portfolio will question you "borrowing" protected material to show off your skills. The companies will not want to risk hiring someone who appears to show little regard for the IP rights of others. They tend to prefer those designers who show their talents by investing their time in creating their own logos.

The logos you create for mom-and-pop stores are not "samples." You would be creating real logos for use by the stores. There is some pride that comes from seeing a store using your design in their advertisements. It promotes the store but it also promotes your work. It is a win-win for all.

Building a portfolio DOES take time. I grant you that.

 

[justalayman]

I'm missing the point of there being any benefit by using logos already in use. There is nothing there that would allow you to make your portfolio showing your talents any faster than whipping up some logo yourself and altering it as you wish to show your abilities.


unless of course you don't believe your self made designs are not of the quality or imagination required to show you are actually worth hiring.

 

[Silverplum]

You will impress more with a portfolio filled with logos you created yourself than you will with logos appropriated from other companies who are known to be protective of their rights.

If you build your portfolio by using registered trademarks, not only will your use of these be limited in scope (you cannot use them in any promotional materials like in brochures or on websites), any company you approach with your portfolio will question you "borrowing" protected material to show off your skills. The companies will not want to risk hiring someone who appears to show little regard for the IP rights of others. They tend to prefer those designers who show their talents by investing their time in creating their own logos.

The logos you create for mom-and-pop stores are not "samples." You would be creating real logos for use by the stores. There is some pride that comes from seeing a store using your design in their advertisements. It promotes the store but it also promotes your work. It is a win-win for all.

Building a portfolio DOES take time. I grant you that.

It does take time, and part of one's education should have been spent on creating the portfolio.

I'd like to add my voice to Quincy's and state most firmly that violating copyright is not going to get you a job: instead, it will show prospective employers a lack of creativity and enterprise, and a very unattractive tendency to plagiarize another's work.

 

[insaniacgrr]

Ok thank you so much for you help. Have a nice day all of you

 

[Silverplum]

I'm missing the point of there being any benefit by using logos already in use. There is nothing there that would allow you to make your portfolio showing your talents any faster than whipping up some logo yourself and altering it as you wish to show your abilities.


unless of course you don't believe your self made designs are not of the quality or imagination required to show you are actually worth hiring.

S/He wants to vectorize existing logos, to show the ability to vectorize use Adobe Illustrator. (There are no synonyms for "vectorize." )

 

[quincy]

Ok thank you so much for you help. Have a nice day all of you

I hope you seriously consider the suggestions offered you, insaniacgrr.

I wish you the best in building a portfolio of original and creative work that shows off your talent and skills.

Good luck with your job search.

 

[insaniacgrr]

I just field that people lost track of the point. Is not that im not being creative or I dont want to be original. Those skills are shown in other works of the portfolio. the logos i will use are only for show my skills to use the tools on the Adobe illustrator program like silverplum said. And like I said in a previous post quincy post links of copyright companies, but they only state that i cant use their logo for commercial use but i can for personal use. So show my porfolio to companies to shown my habillities on the adobe programs (not my creativity) will pass as a commercial use?

 

[quincy]

I just field that people lost track of the point. Is not that im not being creative or I dont want to be original. Those skills are shown in other works of the portfolio. the logos i will use are only for show my skills to use the tools on the Adobe illustrator program like silverplum said. And like I said in a previous post quincy post links of copyright companies, but they only state that i cant use their logo for commercial use but i can for personal use. So show my porfolio to companies to shown my habillities on the adobe programs (not my creativity) will pass as a commercial use?

The links I provided have information on both the copyrighted material and on the trademarks of the two companies. The logos are trademarks. You might want to re-read the information provided on the unauthorized use of the trademarks.

You can take the suggestions offered you by the forum members, which I believe will increase your chances of getting a job, or you can try to demonstrate your abilities and your "creativity" by using the intellectual property of others (which sort of shows you are not all that creative ).

One comes with no legal risk and one comes with some legal risk. What you decide to do is really up to you, insaniacgrr.

Good luck.