QUOTE(sschind @ Mar 29 2012, 08:22 AM)
I can't believe this isn't as illegal as all get out. Aren't these cards copyrighted? or does that only apply in the US?
Aren't music, movies, and photos copyrighted too? Did you know that legal copyright is obtained my merely creating/producing a tangible something? Say if I write a poem, it's copyrighted. The act of "registering" is not required to own your intellectual property. It's simply a means of further protection through the US and International governments (depending on where you file).
So yes, cards, their design, and the photos used on them are copyrighted. Copying the image and reproducing it, without permission, in order to sell and make profit or even just distribute, is a violation of copyright law. Same as copying a CD or DVD with the intent to profit or distribute.