Intellectual Property Policy

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Personalized gifts sit right where creativity meets other people’s rights. A customer might want their favourite team’s logo on a mug, a cartoon character on an ornament, or a famous quote on a plaque. This Intellectual Property Policy explains what we can and cannot make, how we protect trademarks, designs, characters and people’s likenesses, how rights owners can report a problem that is not a copyright matter, and how we protect our own designs. Copyright notices follow the separate process on our DMCA page.

The essentials

  • We only make items using designs we created or licensed, plus personalization you have the right to use.
  • We do not print brand logos, sports team marks, licensed characters or celebrity likenesses unless the owner has given permission.
  • Rights owners can report a trademark, design, publicity or other IP concern to support@yaybestie.com; we respond within one business day.
  • If we cannot make your personalization because of someone else’s rights, we tell you and offer a change or a full refund.
  • Our name, logo and original designs belong to Yay Bestie.

1. The kinds of rights we respect

“Intellectual property” covers several different rights. The ones that matter most for personalized gifts are:

Intellectual property rights relevant to personalized gifts
Right What it protects Example on a gift Where to report
Copyright Original creative works: drawings, photos, text, lyrics A cartoon drawn by an illustrator; a song chorus DMCA page
Trademark Names, logos and slogans that identify a business or product A sports team crest; a brand logo; a protected slogan This page, section 8
Character rights Well-known fictional characters, often protected by copyright and trademark A famous cartoon mouse or superhero This page, section 8
Right of publicity A person’s name, image and likeness used commercially A celebrity’s face or signature This page, section 8
Design rights and patents The appearance or function of a product A distinctive registered lamp design This page, section 8

2. How we make our designs

Our product designs, illustrations and layouts are created for Yay Bestie or licensed for use on our products. When we use fonts, clip art or illustration assets made by others, we use them under licences that allow commercial use on printed goods. We do not copy designs from other shops, and we do not use product photos taken from other websites. If you believe any of our own designs copies your work, please tell us; we take that seriously and investigate.

3. What you can and cannot ask us to print

You are welcome to personalize your gift with:

  • names, nicknames, dates, places and coordinates;
  • your own words, jokes and messages;
  • photos you took yourself, or photos the photographer has allowed you to use, where a product accepts photo uploads;
  • short common phrases and everyday expressions, such as “home sweet home” or “best friends forever”.

We cannot print, without proof of permission from the owner:

  • logos, crests, mascots or names of sports teams, leagues, universities, companies or brands;
  • characters from films, television, games, books or comics, including fan-drawn versions of them;
  • photos or drawings of celebrities, influencers or other public figures, or their signatures;
  • song lyrics, poems or passages from books beyond very short phrases, unless they are in the public domain;
  • artwork, photos or designs you found online and did not create or license.

Example: “Go team, Katie!” on a mug is fine; the same words above a professional team’s logo are not. A drawing of a golden retriever is fine; a drawing of a famous cartoon dog is not.

4. What happens if your personalization uses protected material

We look at personalization requests before production and stop anything that clearly uses someone else’s logo, character or likeness. If that happens with your order, we email you to explain which part is the problem and suggest an alternative, such as using team colours and a jersey number instead of the team crest. You can change the personalization free of charge, or cancel for a full refund within 7 days. We will never quietly change your design without asking.

We are not able to recognise every protected work, and responsibility for submitted content stays with the customer, as explained in our Terms of Service. If a rights owner later tells us an item infringes their rights, we follow the process below.

5. Fan gifts without the logo: ideas that work

Telling a superfan we cannot print their team crest is never fun, so here are ways to make a fan gift that still feels unmistakably theirs, without borrowing anyone’s trademark:

  • use the team’s colours as a design choice, with the person’s name and a lucky number;
  • add the city or the year of a memorable game or concert they went to;
  • quote something they shouted from the stands, in your own words, rather than an official slogan;
  • pair a generic illustration, such as a basketball, a guitar or a controller, with an inside joke only your group understands;
  • for fans of a show or book series, reference a running joke between you instead of a character’s name or face.

These gifts are often more personal than a logo would have been, because they are about the person and the memories you share, not just the brand they like.

6. Photos you upload: a quick checklist

Where a product accepts a photo, please check three things before uploading. First, did you take the photo, or do you have the photographer’s permission? Professional photos, including school and wedding photos, are often owned by the photographer even when you paid for them, and many photographers are happy to give permission if asked. Second, does the photo show anyone who might not want to be on a gift, such as a stranger in the background? Third, does it include a logo, artwork or character, for example a branded shirt front and centre, that could cause the problems described above? If in doubt, crop it or choose another shot.

7. Licensed and permitted use

If you have permission to use protected material, for example you own a small business and want its logo on a team mug, or you are a club officer with written permission to use the club crest, email us before ordering with a copy or summary of that permission. We will confirm whether we can produce the item and keep a note on your order. We may still decline if the permission is unclear, does not cover printed products, or would mislead people about who made the item.

8. How rights owners can report a concern

If you own a trademark, character, design or publicity right, or act for someone who does, and you believe something on yaybestie.com or an item we make infringes it, email support@yaybestie.com with the subject “IP report”. Please include:

  1. your name, organisation (if any), postal address, email and phone number;
  2. the right you are relying on, for example a trademark registration number and country, or a description of the character or design;
  3. the page URL or product name where the material appears, or a photo of the item;
  4. a short explanation of why you believe the use is not authorized;
  5. a statement that the information in your report is accurate and that you are the rights owner or authorized to act for them;
  6. your physical or electronic signature.

For copyright, please use the format on our DMCA page instead, because the law sets specific requirements for those notices.

9. What we do with a report

We acknowledge reports within one business day and usually review them within two business days. Where the report is clear and well supported, we remove the listing or design and stop producing affected items while we review. Where a report concerns a customer’s personalization, we cancel and refund any unproduced items using that material. If the report is unclear, we ask for more information. If we decide not to act, we explain why.

We may share your report with the person who supplied the material so they can respond. If they explain that the use is authorized, for example because they hold a licence, we may pass that explanation to you and, where appropriate, restore the material. We are not in a position to judge complex legal disputes between a rights owner and a customer; in that case the parties may need to resolve the matter between themselves.

10. Timelines and keeping you informed

Whether you are a rights owner or a customer whose order is affected, we keep you updated in writing at each step: when we receive a report, when we decide what to do, and when a case is closed. If an order is paused because of a report, the customer hears from us before the usual 1–3 business day production time runs out, so nobody is left wondering why tracking has not started. Customers are never charged for an order we decide not to make, and any refund reaches their original payment method within 7 days, as set out in our Refund Policy.

11. Repeat problems

Customers who repeatedly ask us to print other people’s protected material, after we have explained why we cannot, may have future orders that include submitted artwork declined. Where we have reason to believe someone is ordering items for resale using protected material, we may cancel and refund those orders.

12. Our own name, logo and designs

The Yay Bestie name, the two-speech-bubble logo, our illustrations, product designs, product photography and website content are owned by Yay Bestie or used under licence. Please do not copy them, sell products using them, or use our name in a way that suggests we are connected with you. Sharing a link to our site, or posting a photo of a gift you received, is always welcome.

If you see our designs or photos on another website or marketplace without our permission, we would really appreciate a quick email with the link. It helps us protect our customers from buying lookalike products of unknown quality.

13. Not affiliated with other brands

Yay Bestie is an independent gift shop. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any sports league, team, entertainment company, character owner or other brand. Words like “mom”, “dad”, “bestie” or “pet lover” on our products describe the recipient; they are not references to any trademark.

14. Questions

If you are not sure whether something can be printed, ask before you order: email support@yaybestie.com or use the Submit Ticket page with the wording or a description of the image. It is much easier for everyone to sort out before production than after. For general questions, visit our Help Center.