Parody Artwork Legal Disclaimer All works contained in this folder are original parody artworks. These images heavily draw inspiration from well-known beer brands’ logos and poster designs – including Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Pabst Blue Ribbon (PBR), Corona, Guinness, Budweiser, Molson Canadian, and Moosehead – but they are not exact copies. Each design has been custom-created and transformed with humorous or satirical elements to comment on or poke fun at the original branding. These parody works are presented solely for entertainment and commentary purposes, and no affiliation with, or endorsement by, the original brand owners is claimed or implied. Fair Use in the United States (Copyright Law) Under U.S. copyright law, parody is a well-recognized form of “fair use.” Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act allows use of portions of a copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, commentary, or parody without the copyright owner’s permissiontermly.io. Because these images transform the original logos and ads through comedic alteration and commentary, they qualify as transformative fair use. The U.S. Supreme Court has explicitly noted that a parody must mimic an original to make its point, and therefore “has some claim to use the creation of its victim’s imagination” as a legitimate part of the new, humorous workcopyrightalliance.org. In other words, our parody artworks incorporate just enough of the original look and feel to evoke the brand and deliver a joke or critique, but they add new expression and meaning. Several factors support these works as fair use in the United States: • Transformative Purpose: The images add new expression or meaning to the original brand imagery by exaggerating, spoofing, or satirizing it, rather than merely reproducing it. The intent is to comment on or lampoon the originals, which is a protected commentary purpose under fair usetermly.io. Even though these works are offered for sale (commercial use), their transformative parody nature means they “will not be taken seriously” as substitute products and thus can still qualify as fair uselottfischer.com. U.S. courts have affirmed that commercial parodies can be fair use if they are sufficiently transformative and not simply exploiting the original work’s value. • Limited Scope of Copying: Our designs do not copy the originals in full. They use only the elements necessary to conjure up the brand’s image – for example, similar fonts, colors, or layout – but with obvious twists and differences for comedic effect. This ensures we avoid taking more than needed from the original work. The heart of each original logo or ad is referenced just enough to be recognizable, and then subverted with new art, phrases, or themes unique to the parody. • No Market Harm: These parody artworks do not compete with or replace the original brands’ products or official merchandise. A parody serves a different market function (humor and commentary) than the actual beer branding. There is no likelihood that someone would buy our parody image instead of a Coors or Guinness product – in fact, parodies often increase public interest in the originals rather than usurping their marketcopyrightalliance.org. By clearly targeting a humorous art/collectible market, our works pose no threat to the actual beer companies’ sales or brand value. Taken together, these points show a good-faith fair use of the source material under U.S. law. We are transparent that copyrighted brand elements are referenced for parody purposes, and we firmly believe this falls under lawful fair use guidelines. Posting this disclaimer alongside the works further helps to disclose that any referenced materials are used legally under fair usetermly.io. Fair Dealing in Canada (Copyright Law) In Canada, copyright law provides a similar safeguard for parody. Section 29 of Canada’s Copyright Act explicitly lists “parody or satire” as allowable purposes under the fair dealing exceptionlaws-lois.justice.gc.ca. This means that using portions of a copyrighted work to create a parody is not an infringement, so long as the dealing is fair. All the parody images in this collection are created for the purpose of parody/satire, and thus meet this first requirement of Canadian fair dealing law. To further ensure compliance with Canadian fair dealing, our use is also “fair” in the context of the established factors (as interpreted by Canadian courts): • Purpose and Character: The purpose of these works is purely humorous commentary and artistic satire, not to compete with the original or earn profit from the original work’s reputation. While we do offer the parody art for sale (a commercial aspect), the character of the use remains a non-substitute, transformative critique. Canadian courts have acknowledged that even commercial uses can be fair dealing if the purpose is genuinely parody and the dealing is fairen.wikipedia.orggowlingwlg.com. Our intent is lighthearted satire, not to disparage the brand maliciously or exploit the original art in bad faith. • Amount Taken: We have limited the borrowing to what’s necessary to evoke the original brand in the viewer’s mind. Each parody contains recognizable cues (like a similar logo shape or slogan format), but also significant original additions and alterations. By “exhibiting noticeable differences” from the source materialgowlingwlg.com, the new work ensures it’s seen as a spoof, not a replica. We avoid using any more of the original design than needed for the parody effect. This careful approach helps keep the dealing fair, as we’re not appropriating the entirety of the original art. • No Substantial Harm: Our parodies are unlikely to affect the market or value of the original works in any negative way. They target a different audience – those who appreciate the joke – and do not fulfill the same purpose as the actual brand logos/ads. There is no realistic risk that a consumer would confuse our satirical poster with an official beer advertisement, nor forego purchasing the actual product because of our art. In fact, parody by its nature is usually understood as separate commentary, so no damage to the original’s market or reputation is intended or expected. We also refrain from any defamatory or excessively negative content; the goal is good-natured humor, not to harm the brand’s honour or reputation. This aligns with fair dealing principles that caution against parodies that go “too far” into defamationgowlingwlg.com. By meeting these criteria, each work should be protected under Canada’s fair dealing rights for parody. In summary, Canadian law recognizes parody as a legitimate, socially beneficial use of copyrighted material, balancing creators’ rights with users’ rightsedu.oceanlegacy.ca. We are exercising this right responsibly, and this disclaimer asserts our legal justification under Canadian copyright law for creating and sharing these parody images. Trademark and Non-Affiliation Notice All trademarks and brand names referenced (including Coors®, PBR®, Corona®, Guinness®, Budweiser®, Molson Canadian®, Moosehead®, etc.) are the registered property of their respective owners. These parody artworks are independent creations that are not endorsed, sponsored, or authorized by any of the trademark owners. We use the names and visual elements only to the minimal extent necessary to identify the brands being parodied, which is a form of nominative fair use and parody in trademark context. Critically, each design is crafted to be obviously satirical and distinguishable from the actual brand’s official materials. The parody logos/posters contain clear alterations, exaggerations, or comedic context such that no reasonable person would believe the parody is an official product of Coors, Molson, AB InBev, or any other company. In fact, for a parody to be successful as a defense in trademark law, it must be immediately apparent that the work is a joke and not the original marklottfischer.com. We have taken care to ensure no likelihood of confusion: the average viewer will recognize the famous branding elements, but also recognize the humorous twist and understand that our work is a **“take-off” on the original, not a genuine brand itemlottfischer.com. By making the parody nature clear, we are not diluting the value of the trademarks or misleading consumers – instead, we are commenting on the brands through satire, which is protected free expression. Furthermore, we explicitly disclaim any commercial connection with the original brands. No sponsorship or partnership exists between us and the companies that own these beer brands. The use of their logos, trade dress, or names is purely for transformative parody purposes, and no challenge to their ownership of those trademarks is intended. All goodwill and rights in the original marks remain with the trademark holders. This disclaimer serves to underscore that our work is parody art and helps prevent any public confusion or mistaken impressions of endorsement. Summary of Fair Use/Fair Dealing Claim In conclusion, all images in this folder are protected parody works under both United States and Canadian law. They transform the source material with new expression, meaning, and message – using satire and humor to comment on the original brands – and thus fall under “fair use” in the U.S.termly.io and “fair dealing” in Canadalaws-lois.justice.gc.ca. By clearly identifying these works as parodies and including this detailed disclaimer, we affirm our good-faith belief that we are operating within our legal rights. We respect the intellectual property rights of the original companies and have crafted these designs to honor the spirit of satire without encroaching on the legitimate market for the originals. Use of these parody images is intended as commentary and entertainment, which are legally safeguarded forms of expression. In the unlikely event of any confusion, this disclaimer should make it evident that **the works are parodic in nature and not official. By proceeding with these works (including selling or displaying them in Canada or elsewhere), we do so under the protection of fair use and fair dealing law, confident that parody is a legitimate and permissible use of the referenced brand imagery in both the United States and Canada. All rights not expressly claimed for parody purposes remain with the original copyright and trademark owners. This disclaimer itself is provided to document our legal position comprehensively and to ensure transparency with all viewers, customers, and rights holders about the nature of these works. Enjoy the artwork with the understanding that it is satire – fully intended for fun, and fully within the bounds of the law.