copyright trademark branding product-liability
Is it legal to cut a designer logo off of a piece of clothing, sew it onto another and sell it?
<p>What if I were to cut the Versace or Nike logo off of an old, ruined piece of clothing, sew or glue the logo onto other piece of clothing and then sell it. </p>

<p>I would tell the buyer in advance that the logo had been sew on and that the product wasn't created by the designer named on the logo. This would eliminate any concern of fraud.</p>

<p>Is this a legal and viable business strategy, or would this infringe upon the copyrights and trademarks of the designer? Would there be liability associated with this business plan?</p>

<p>It is an infringement of trademark to "pass off" something as by designer or maker X, when it is not in fact by X. Although by notifying the purchaser you are not actually claiming that the modified garment is by the maker whose tag you have added, it is hard to see any legitimate reason for doing this. You may be inviting your purchaser to pass off these counterfeit goods.  See <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterfeit_consumer_goods#Apparel_and_accessories" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this Wikipedia article</a>.</p>

<p>If such altered goods move through customs they could be seized. In some countries sellers and purchasers are subject to fines.</p>

<p>Why would a legitimate seller do such a thing? </p>
