Hi, I have a customer that want's somekind of Dora as a Spiderman or these two characters mixed, the cake is for 25 people. I am wondering how I can do this as there are no pictures I can go by where Dora is in a Spiderman custom or a cake where these two characters are mixed together. Does anyone here have a clever idea on how to do this

Wow! Lol, that s different! Maybe u should ask them if they have something they want to see specifically on the cake or if they want to leave it to your imagination. If they say it s up to your imagination, an idea is having Dora wearing a dress with spiderman logo on the chest and swinging on two webs towards a building or destination of your choice... Lol. Sorry, this is too funny!

Even if you can figure out a cute design, how do you plan on getting around the issue of copyright violation?

leah_s, can u explain more about the copyright violation? I d like to know about it please.

If the customer can look at a design and say That'spider Man or That's Dora then you're in violation of copyright laws and if caught the fine is pretty stiff (thousands of dollars). But if you want to take a chance on it I would solve it like this, I would make a Dora wearing a spider man shirt or the other way around.

Oh my gosh! Good to know! So if I m asked to do a nemo cake, what do I do then?

Sorry to say but that is still a violation. Like previously said if you're willing to chance it her wearing the costume or shirt is better.

As for the question posted what do I do....I simply say I'm sorry that is a violation of copyright however I can...(order from decopac or another supplier, make it in like colors and have customer buy a toy and they can place it on the cake.)

Thanks for answering to my question.
Maybe you can make her wear a dress or shirt with spiderman face on the shirt but instead of red and blue, u can make similar girly colors and change spiderman s features a little.

Doesn't matter. If it LOOKS like either spiderman or Dora, no matter what colors you use or how you combine them you better know the people you're making this for and know that they won't turn you in or aren't working for these big companies...............same with Nemo. Fish yes, Nemo, NO. I keep a blurb next to my phone and when someone asks for a copyrighted character I just read from the paper. Let's face it, the real reason they're coming to you to do this cake is because bakeries won't touch a copyrighted character cake - strict regulations, they can't and won't do it. After I read off my speel about copyrights they usually say, I'm having the same problem with other bakers.............no kidding....Dahhhh!!! Then I tell them that I can build in a background and they can buy a plastic figurine to put on AT HOME, because it can't leave here looking like Spiderman, Nemo or Dora but what they do with it in the privacy of their own home is their own business.

Well, I guess it s a no. What can u do.

The issue is not really with the customers turning you in, it's that pictures of the cake will probably be posted online with a description that includes "Dora", "Spiderman", and "cake". This makes it very easy for copyright owners (and intellectual property search firms hired by copyright owners) to find infringing works and trace them back to the person who created it.

BTW it's perfectly fine to purchase a licensed figurine or decopac and use that to decorate the cake, even if you sell it. You just can't make your own copies of copyrighted characters without permission.

Oh ok!

I think the reason so many get confused on the copyright issue (I was one of them) is because just about every other picture posted here is some kind of licensed character, some using the toy characters , some not. Then it goes back to "If they're doing it, why can't I"? No one is telling you not to do it, just advising you not to, to save yourself from potential issues in the future.

I would just buy a couple little toys of the characters you want to use and add them to the cake. Is the cake for one child or 2? If it's for 2, why not have one side of the cake decorated along the lines of a Spiderman background (building, spiderwebs, etc.)...a poster here ladyfon did a great Spiderman cake. Maybe something along those lines. Then on the other side, have Dora and decorate in her environment.

If it's for one child, think of a way to incorporate the 2 characters. If you can find a Spiderman figure that looks like he's climbing, why not have Dora on a garden rooftop (decorated using colors and the environment she's from) and have Spiderman climbing up the side of the cake which is decorated to look like a building. Maybe Dora like invited Spiderman to join her for a rooftop bbq! I'm really reaching here, but you get the idea! (I hope!)