OT: How Do You Go About Copyrighting A Name?

[Atrocities]

I want to copy right a name to prevent others from using it for web pages and or other on line purposes. I know that many actors and stuck up rich people, as well as the japanies, are copy righting names, and I want to get my name copy righted, not my name name but other, before someone else does.

This way when I log onto on of those pay to play sites, I know that my character name is MINE, and I can force whomever is stealling it, and they do because they are unoriginal bastards, to give it up.

I am sick and tired of copy cat SOB's and their attitudes. I have spend a long time coming up with good unique and orginal names, and when I use one of them, within a month I have two or more copy cats.

[ July 30, 2004, 23:56: Message edited by: Atrocities ]

[TerranC]

Edit: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

Apparently you would have to use a trademark to protect your name.

[ July 31, 2004, 01:04: Message edited by: TerranC ]

[Azselendor]

Originally posted by Atrocities:

I am sick and tired of copy cat SOB's and their attitudes. I have spend a long time coming up with good unique and orginal names, and when I use one of them, within a month I have two or more copy cats.

You and me both. It's funny I saw this thread because I was working on a cease-and-desist order the other day for copyright infringement on some of my written works! lol

TerranC is right, you would need to Trademark your name. Now this is a bit more expensive, but it gives you the right to put a little (TM) behind your name.

Patents is another item, but that applies to inventions so we can ignore that.

Finally, copyright is the cheapest, simplest way to get ownership on something.

If you take a collection or body of work and get it printed nicely, you can submit it to the copyright office and get a similar effect of a trademark so long as your own work is completely original and meets all the requirements.

Now, there is another way.

If you can establish your character was ripped off, contact the admins of a site and report the user to them. Do it polite and be civil about it and normally they will comply and remove the user
for posing.

[PvK]

Use the legal system that has interest and jurisdiction, and shouldn't charge you anything or involve paperwork - i.e. the game admins. Most pay-to-play games already have rules about what names are allowed, just waiting for players to mention their experience is being degraded by others' choice of names.

PvK

[Gandalf Parker]

I can put you in touch with the copyright lawyer that handles our MUD. He is the best of both worlds. A copyright lawyer, and an Online gamer. Should cut down the explaining quite abit.

[ July 31, 2004, 22:44: Message edited by: Gandalf Parker ]

[gregebowman]

Heard a funny thing today. Some hotel chain that apparently goes by the name of W, asked a couple of companies that were marketing stuff for George W. Bush asked the companies involved to stop using the W, as that is their trademark. Now, first of all, I've never heard of this hotel chain. And how can you stop someone from using their middle initial? I just thought it was unusual, to say the least.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

Hey, I know! There's a street that bears my middle name! I'm going to claim ownership of that street and charge people a toll!

[Azselendor]

It all depends on the usage. For example, Microsoft's XBox is also the name of a real company. However, the courts ruled that microsoft did not commit a violation. Same thing happened prior to that when McDonalds sued Mrs. McDonald's Country Restraunt. McDonald's doesn't serve home cooked meals

[Katchoo]

How the heck can you Trademark the letter 'W'?!?!

If anything is going to fall under permanent public domain, it's got to be individual letters of the alphabet.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

I don't think you could trademark the letter, but they could probably trademark it for the purpose of representing a hotel chain.