Kids’ birthday parties are stressful enough. This is one problem we didn’t think about.
There’s a lot to do in the lead up to a kid’s birthday party. At the top of the agenda is usually the glorious birthday cake. If late-night baking, frosting and decorating isn’t stressful enough, here’s a worry we’re sure you probably haven’t even thought about.
Getting sued.
So that fabulous Frozen cake you were thinking of making, the one with Elsa, Anna and Olaf on top? Think again because making this cake could lead to hefty fines for breach of copyright.
Brisbane cake decorator Serene Leong is refusing to recreate characters from popular Disney movies for this exact reason.
“Customers don’t realise that we could get sued. Other stores sell Disney biscuits or cakes but they might have the required licence to sell them. It is a struggle for those of us in the industry who want to do the right thing, but by doing so we lose customers to businesses who are willing to take the risk” Serene told The Australian.
Even the novice home baker isn’t safe according to Copyright expert, Griffith University Associate Professor Leanne Wiseman. Leanne explains that people who show off their baking skills online via social media are the most likely to be fined, particularly if their seemingly innocent image goes viral.
“Someone might post a photo on the web of a cake they baked at home and not realise it is technically an infringement. Strictly speaking, if you recreate an exact reproduction or a substantial copy without the creator’s permission, then that’s an infringement” Leanne said.
SCROLL THROUGH the gallery to see some of our favourite amateur character cakes…
