Is there any protection for "fanart"?

[PolkaDot]

I used to room with a guy whose dad was a copyright lawyer. I found someone on eBay selling items printed with artwork I had drawn and posted online - "fanart" of a copyrighted character. I asked my friend to ask his dad if there was anything that could be done and the short answer was no. Years later, I'd like to verify if that is the final word.

A good friend of mine is a fantastic artist and has an account on DeviantArt. Today he found someone on eBay selling t-shirts printed with one of his more elaborate designs - this is fanart of a Cartoon Network program he drew in 2005. So this person is using my friend's artwork of copyrighted characters to make money.

Can he be stopped at all? I have personal friends at Cartoon Network and I can contact the lawyers there if needed. It just burns me that my friend worked so hard to make a piece or artwork for fans to enjoy and this other guy is making money from it. Thanks.

 

[mafioso]

I know if the drawings or relevant material were copy write protected, they you easily have a case. If they are just things he drew without registering or copywriting them……………..that would be almost impossible to win in court……..this would raise issues of provenance which could get really complicated. This is just my humble opinion on such issues from my limited experience…………I might be wrong.