trademark
Can I use the image of Dracula or Frankenstein in my ad or logo?
<p>I want to use the iconic symbol of Dracula or Frankenstein for my logo, or at least some ads.<br />
Without using the name Dracula/Frankenstein.<br />
Is that ok or the &quot;image&quot; of them is also a trademark?</p>

<h2>Dracula and Frankenstein are public domain. Images of them may not be.</h2>
<p>Bram Stoker died in 1912 and Mary Shelly in 1851; their work entered the public domain in the UK in 1982 and 1931 respectively.</p>
<p>However, many images and video of the characters are still under copyright. So, Frankenstein (or more accurately Frankenstein’s Monster) as Shelly described him can be used as an image. However, the image of the monster in the public imagination owes more to the <a href="http://Frankenstein%201931" rel="nofollow noreferrer">1931 film</a> than to the book and AFIK is still under copyright.</p>
<p>So if you draw Frankenstein based on Shelly’s writing, that’s fine. If your image draws from Boris Karloff, that’s copyright infringement.</p>
<p>The issue of trademark only comes up if someone is using it in trade or commerce and your usage is confusing.</p>
