Copyright, Trademarks & Licensing | Kent

Can you use that character in a balloon display? What about a customer’s logo, an image from Google, a Canva graphic or a font you’ve downloaded online?

Join Angie George from Creative Craft Workshops for an interactive Business Surgery exploring copyright, trademarks, licensing and commercial usage rights within balloon, event and creative businesses.

Using real-world examples from balloon décor, event styling and the wider creative industry, this practical session will help you better understand the issues to consider before using somebody else’s work, branding or intellectual property commercially.

From well-known characters and brand names to logos, slogans, photographs, fonts and graphics, it isn’t always obvious where the boundaries lie. Being able to buy, download or access something doesn’t necessarily mean you automatically have permission to reproduce it or use it within a product you’re creating and selling.

Throughout the session, you’ll explore common situations faced by creative businesses and, importantly, learn which questions you should be asking before you create it, advertise it or sell it.

And yes… you’ll talk about the Elf!

Elf arrival balloons and Advent displays provide a perfect real-world example for exploring the relationship between licensed products, characters, trademarks and commercial use. You’ll consider the important distinction between purchasing an officially licensed product and having permission to reproduce, alter or use protected characters or branding commercially.

The aim isn’t to frighten you into never creating anything again. It’s to help you become more informed, recognise potential issues and know when you may need to stop and ask: “Can I use this?”

What you’ll explore:

©️ Understanding copyright and the types of creative work it can protect
™️ Understanding trademarks, including names, logos, words, phrases and brand identifiers
🎈 Copyright and licensing considerations within balloon décor and event styling
🎭 Understanding licensed characters and branded products
🛍️ The difference between buying a licensed product and having permission to reproduce or commercially use intellectual property
💻 Understanding commercial usage rights when purchasing or downloading creative assets
🔤 Using fonts and graphics within your business
📸 Considerations when using photographs and images found online
📌 Using creative content found through Google, Pinterest, Canva and social media
💬 What to consider when customers request branded or character-themed designs
🎄 Using Elf arrival balloons and Advent displays as a real-world industry example
🎨 Protecting your own creative work when others use your photographs, content or ideas

Your investment includes:

• 2½-hour interactive Business Surgery
• Practical discussion around copyright, trademarks and licensing
• Real-world examples from balloon, event and creative businesses
• Opportunity to bring your own questions and scenarios
• Group discussion with other creative professionals
• Greater awareness of the questions to consider before commercially using third-party creative work

This is an interactive, discussion-led business session suitable for balloon artists, event stylists and other creative business owners who want to better understand copyright, trademarks, licensing and commercial usage.

Bring along your questions. If there’s a character, logo, photograph, font, graphic, phrase, product or idea you’ve ever looked at and wondered “Can I use this?”, this is your opportunity to explore the issues surrounding it.

You won’t leave as a copyright lawyer — and this session isn’t a substitute for professional legal advice — but you should leave with greater awareness of potential risks and a much better understanding of the questions to ask before using somebody else’s intellectual property commercially.

See it. Question it. Check it before you use it.

📅 Date: Wednesday 11th November 2026
⏰ Time: 10:00am–12:30pm
📍 Location: Datta’s Wholesale, TK House, Old Homedale Road, Bromley, Kent, BR2 9SP
👩‍🏫 Trainer: Angie George
🏢 Hosted By: Creative Craft Workshops
💷 Investment: £20 per person
⏱️ Duration: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
💼 Session Type: Interactive Business Surgery
📈 Course Level: Suitable for All Business Levels