One of my former employer’s exhibitions, Toytopia, was once rife with unauthorized IP (intellectual property). If you’re ever feeling lonely, use an IP image without permission; you’ll soon be visited by corporate attorneys who will visit you by phone, email, text, or arrive by parachute or armored personnel carrier, armed with briefcases of “cease and desist” orders.
My solution for the “Toy Story” cabinet was to show photos of the actual toys, and to tell their fascinating back stories.
Avoiding IP issues is a sport. It’s also a way to engage museum visitors from a different angle.
