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Subject:RE: About Themes for Fake Names From:bryan -dot- westbrook -at- amd -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 22 Jul 2002 08:30:49 -0500
And, as has been stated before, names can not be copyrighted. They can only be trademarked, and even then you probably can't trademark a normal name. For example, AOL/Time-Warner has a trademark on the name Superman, but they probably can't trademark the name Clark Kent because that could actually be a real person's name.
In the Austin, TX, phonebook I found:
Bruce Wayne
Clark Kent
Clarke Kent (I've seen trucks from his business around town)
Diana Prince
Barry Allen
All of which are the secret identities of members of the (original) Justice League in DC Comics, three of which I have actually used in internal documentation (after checking the employee directory to make sure that none of them worked here). This is not to say that you couldn't end up spending tons on defending yourself against a groundless lawsuit by some entertainment company.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michele Marques [mailto:msmarques -at- rogers -dot- com]
Sent: Saturday, July 20, 2002 9:59 AM
To: TECHWR-L
Subject: RE: About Themes for Fake Names
Be careful about using celebrity names or other famous names. I've been
advised by our legal department NOT to use these names and have had to
change many screenshots.
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