Can You Use Copyrighted Characters, Costumes, Images and Music?

IYM

November 5, 2026

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A Practical Guide for Cosplay, Costume Parties and Independent Filmmaking

Have you ever wanted to dress up as your favourite movie character, recreate an iconic costume, organise a themed party or even make your own movie inspired by a famous film?

Creative inspiration can come from almost anywhere. Movies, video games, books, comics, music and artwork offer an incredible source of ideas for costumes, characters and personal projects.

But how much can you actually use? Is it okay to dress up as a famous character? Can you make your own version of their costume? Can you use a movie poster to promote an event, or include a recognisable character in your own short film?

Copyright and other intellectual property rights can sometimes make these questions more complicated than they initially appear.

Understanding a few basic principles can help you make informed decisions without putting unnecessary limits on your creativity.

Let’s explore the most common situations.

1. First, what does copyright actually protect?

Copyright protects original creative works and the way their authors have expressed their ideas.

These can include:

• Films, television programmes and video games.
• Scripts, stories, dialogue and written characters.
• Illustrations, paintings, photographs and graphic designs.
• Music, sound recordings and compositions.
• Animations, visual effects and other audiovisual creations.
• Original costume sketches and certain artistic designs.

An important distinction is that copyright protects creative expression, not ideas themselves.

For example, nobody owns the general idea of a wizard, a vampire, a space explorer or a medieval kingdom. These are broad concepts that anyone can explore creatively.

However, a specific character’s distinctive appearance, original illustrations, costume artwork, written personality and story may be protected.

You can create your own wizard, but that doesn’t automatically give you the right to reproduce another creator’s particular wizard.

Copyright protection generally arises automatically when an original work is created, without requiring a copyright notice or registration in many countries.

https://www.wipo.int/en/web/copyright/protection

2. Copyright isn’t the only type of protection

When discussing costumes, characters and famous brands, we should also consider other intellectual property rights.

These rights can overlap.

For example, a recognisable science-fiction helmet might involve a registered design, an original artistic design and a trademark associated with a film franchise.

A garment is not automatically protected by copyright simply because it looks attractive or distinctive. Depending on its originality and the applicable law, however, it may qualify for copyright or design protection.

https://curia.europa.eu/site/upload/docs/application/pdf/2019-09/cp190109en.pdf

This is why it’s useful to understand what exactly you are reproducing or using, rather than assuming that everything is covered by the same rules.

3. Buying, wearing, copying and selling costumes: what’s the difference?

This is particularly relevant to cosplay enthusiasts and people who enjoy costume parties.

Let’s consider four different situations.

A. Buying and wearing a costume

You purchase a gothic jacket, a fantasy robe, a sci-fi helmet or an officially licensed movie costume.

Owning and wearing a legitimately purchased physical item is different from acquiring the intellectual property rights associated with its design, artwork or branding.

The purchase doesn’t automatically grant you permission to reproduce it, manufacture copies or use protected branding for commercial purposes.

B. Making your own costume

You decide to create a costume inspired by a famous movie, perhaps using ordinary clothes, fabrics, accessories and materials.

Creating an original interpretation gives you considerable creative freedom. However, reproducing protected artwork, distinctive character elements or other protected designs may raise separate questions.

C. Selling costumes or replicas

Making a costume for personal use is not the same as manufacturing and selling replicas.

Designing your own costume using original elements is unlikely to raise significant intellectual property concerns. However, reproducing costumes or other items based on recognisable protected characters, logos or designs for commercial sale can involve copyright, design rights and trademarks.

D. Using costumes to promote a business

Imagine organising a themed event and advertising it using a famous movie character, its logo or recognisable promotional artwork.

Even when the costumes themselves are legally purchased, using protected elements to advertise or promote a commercial activity may require additional permissions.

The important point is that purchasing a physical product does not automatically transfer the intellectual property rights associated with it.

4. Cosplay, costume parties and themed events

Cosplay is all about creativity, imagination and bringing fictional characters to life.

Many enthusiasts create extraordinary costumes inspired by films, games, comics and other creative works. Others enjoy occasional dressing-up parties or themed celebrations and there are several different situations worth distinguishing.

Personal cosplay and private costume parties

Dressing up as a favourite character for your own enjoyment is not the same activity as producing replicas for commercial sale or using a protected character to promote a business.

Nevertheless, private or non-commercial use is not a universal exemption from intellectual property rights. The precise legal position depends on what is reproduced, how it is used and the applicable national legislation.

Conventions and public events

Cosplay conventions often include costume competitions, photography, performances and fan activities.

Event organisers should also consider their own use of protected characters, logos, music and promotional imagery.

The fact that participants are fans does not automatically give an event organiser permission to commercially exploit a film franchise’s intellectual property.

Professional costume parties and commercial events

A company organising a themed party, a professional cosplay event or an entertainment experience may face additional considerations.

For example:

• Using famous movie logos in advertising.
• Promoting an event as officially connected to a particular franchise.
• Selling merchandise featuring protected characters.
• Using movie footage, music or promotional photographs.
• Employing recognisable protected designs as the central attraction of a commercial experience.

The distinction between drawing inspiration from a genre and commercially presenting an event around someone else’s protected intellectual property is particularly important.

5. Using photographs and videos found online

A quick but important reminder, especially for people preparing costumes, social media content or creative projects.

Images and videos being publicly available on the internet does not mean they are free to reuse.

A few common misconceptions are worth avoiding:

• Crediting the original photographer does not automatically give you permission to use their photograph.
• Sharing an image on social media does not mean you can reproduce it in your own advertising.
• Finding a photograph through Google, Pinterest or Instagram does not make it copyright-free.

Always check the source, licence and permitted uses before incorporating someone else’s material into your own work.

For more general guidance, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) copyright FAQ is a useful starting point.

6. Making your own movie inspired by famous films

Imagine making a short adventure film with your friends or family… You would love to include a famous superhero, recreate an iconic scene or use a recognisable soundtrack.

Can you do it?

It depends on the material and how you intend to use it.

Creating an original story inspired by a movie

Being inspired by a particular film, genre or cinematic style is not the same as copying its protected creative expression.

You can create an original adventure featuring heroes, villains, spaceships, magical creatures or mysterious kingdoms.

The challenge comes when you start reproducing specific protected elements, such as:

• Recognisable characters and their distinctive designs.
• Original dialogue or substantial portions of scripts.
• Scenes, illustrations or artwork.
• Specific visual designs and protected logos.
• Music and sound recordings.

Using famous characters in your own film

Recreating a recognisable movie character can involve more than simply putting on a costume.

You might reproduce visual artwork, character designs, distinctive elements or other protected material.

Similarly, making an adaptation of an existing story or incorporating parts of an existing film into your own production may require permission.

Does it matter if the movie is private?

Yes, the intended audience and distribution are important considerations.

There is a difference between making a movie for a small private gathering, organising a public screening, publishing it online or using it to promote a business.

However, calling a movie private or non-commercial does not automatically make every use of copyrighted material lawful.

Some countries recognise exceptions for particular private uses, but these have specific conditions and should not be treated as blanket permission to reproduce or adapt other people’s work.

Under Spanish law, for example, certain communications within a strictly domestic setting are excluded from the definition of public communication. This does not mean that every act involved in making a film using protected material is automatically authorised.

What about music?

Music deserves particular attention.

A song can involve separate rights in the musical composition, lyrics and actual sound recording.

Having access to a song through a streaming service or purchasing it online does not normally give you the rights to incorporate it into your own film.

For audiovisual projects, make sure that the music licence actually covers the intended synchronisation, distribution and promotional uses.

Using properly licensed music or original compositions is generally the simplest solution.

7. What about Creative Commons and public-domain materials?

Fortunately, not everything requires negotiating an individual licence.

There are resources offering creative materials under licences that allow certain forms of reuse.

Creative Commons

Open educational resources | Library

uottawa.ca

Creative Commons provides several licences that allow creators to make their work available under specified conditions.

Some allow commercial use and modifications, while others restrict commercial use or prohibit distributing modified versions.

The main conditions include:

• BY (Attribution): You must give appropriate credit.
• NC (NonCommercial): You cannot use the material commercially without additional permission.
• ND (NoDerivatives): You cannot distribute modified versions without permission.
• SA (ShareAlike): Adaptations must be distributed under the same licence.

Always check the exact licence attached to the material, rather than simply assuming that something labelled Creative Commons can be used for any purpose.

Creative Commons+2

You can explore the licences at Creative Commons.

Public domain

Works in the public domain can generally be used without obtaining copyright permission.

This can include works whose copyright protection has expired or material that was never protected by copyright.

However, public-domain status needs to be checked carefully. Protection periods and rules may vary between countries, and new translations, recordings, photographs or adaptations may have their own separate rights.

8. How to approach copyrighted material safely

Rather than giving up on a creative idea, there are several ways to achieve a similar result without unnecessarily complicating your project.

Here are some practical recommendations:

1. Create your own interpretation.

Use general themes, genres, aesthetics and inspiration to develop an original character rather than reproducing an existing one.

2. Use generic costumes and accessories.

An ordinary gothic jacket, fantasy cloak, futuristic helmet or medieval-style outfit can be the starting point for countless original characters.

3. Look for properly licensed resources.

Stock photographs, music libraries, graphic assets and Creative Commons material can be useful, provided their licences cover your intended use.

4. Ask for permission when necessary.

When you want to use a specific protected work, contact the rights holder or an authorised licensing organisation.

Try to obtain written permission specifying what you can do with the material.

5. Keep a record of your permissions.

Save licences, receipts, authorisations and relevant correspondence. This can become particularly important when a project is published or commercially exploited.

6. Think about distribution before production.

A project intended exclusively for a private audience may have different requirements from one planned for public screenings, social media or commercial promotion.

It’s much easier to identify possible rights issues before production than to discover them after the movie is finished.

9. What does all this mean for Inside Your Movie?

At Inside Your Movie, creativity is at the heart of the experience. We provide an original creative framework, developed by IYM and built around our own stories, characters, artwork and music, offering a copyright-protected foundation for clients to start their film adventure.

Participants can choose how far they want to customise and develop their characters, personalise their performances and contribute their own ideas to make the story truly theirs.

But there is an important distinction between creative freedom and the rights associated with the materials used in a production.

Our experiences can involve a combination of original IYM creations, licensed materials, costumes and accessories from third-party suppliers, and contributions or items brought by participants.

Each can involve different considerations.

A. Costumes and third-party products

Participants may wish to bring their own outfits, buy accessories or use costumes inspired by particular movies.

Ordinary commercially available garments and generic accessories are often useful starting points for creating original characters.

However, buying an item does not necessarily grant permission to reproduce its protected artwork, designs or branding, or to use it in ways that exceed the relevant licence.

The source of the costume and any restrictions attached to its use should be considered.

B. Famous characters and cinematic inspiration

We understand the attraction of becoming a favourite movie character.

Sometimes the intention is to recreate a particular look; other times, it is simply to capture the atmosphere of a favourite film or universe.

There is a creative difference between using a general aesthetic as inspiration and reproducing protected character designs, artwork, logos or other distinctive elements.

At IYM, developing original interpretations and characters is an exciting way to explore familiar genres while creating something distinctive.

C. Making the story your own

One of the most enjoyable aspects of our experiences is the opportunity to personalise the story.

Participants may want to modify dialogue, introduce their own lines, adjust character personalities, suggest scene changes or contribute new creative ideas.

These possibilities are part of what makes the experience participative.

When working with original IYM material, there can be considerable creative flexibility. Where third-party licensed materials are involved, however, the licence may restrict modifications or additional uses.

It’s therefore important to establish those boundaries before incorporating new material into the production.

D. The finished movie and its future use

Another important distinction concerns what happens to the finished movie.

Consider these different situations:

• The film is delivered privately to the participants.
• Friends and family watch it at a private gathering.
• An IYM movie created during a team-building experience is screened at a private company event.
• The film is shown at a public event.
• Participants publish clips or the full movie on social media.

These are not necessarily equivalent uses.

Permissions for making and delivering a film do not automatically cover every possible form of publication, screening or promotion.

For this reason, the intended use of original and third-party materials needs to be considered when planning a production, particularly when the film is intended for public screening or online publication.

10. A quick checklist before you use someone else’s material

Before making a costume, organising an event or producing a movie, consider these questions:

Your creative project checklist

• Is the material original, public domain or protected by copyright or another right?
• Am I using a general idea or reproducing a specific creative expression?
• Does it contain recognisable characters, logos, artwork or designs?
• Am I using it privately, at a public event or commercially?
• Will I reproduce, adapt, film, distribute or publish it?
• Does the licence cover my intended use and any modifications?
• Do I have the necessary permissions from the relevant rights holders?
• Have I considered separate permissions for people appearing in photographs or videos?

You don’t need to become an intellectual property specialist to enjoy cosplay, costume design or independent filmmaking.

But understanding these questions can help you avoid unpleasant surprises and make better creative decisions.

Final thoughts: Be creative, but know what you’re using!

Copyright and intellectual property rights shouldn’t discourage people from exploring their imagination.

There are countless ways to create fantastic costumes, develop original characters, organise extraordinary themed events and make your own movies.

You can draw inspiration from almost any genre or creative universe without necessarily reproducing someone else’s protected work.

The key is understanding the difference, checking the relevant permissions and making informed decisions about how your creations will be used.

Be inspired. Be imaginative. Create your own characters and stories. And, above all, enjoy bringing them to life!