HW: Codex - phew

[Ted Jackson]

On 12 Mar 2001, at 17:20, Douglas Pearson wrote:

> On Sun, 11 Mar 2001 23:41:28 -0000, ANDREW GARIBALDI
> <andygee at DIAL.PIPEX.COM> wrote:
> >I don't know what the situation is now but two or three years ago,
> >Doug, as EBS, had the name of Hawkwind copyrighted
>
> Do you mean trademarked?  I don't believe you can copyright a band
> name. If it actually had been trademarked, though, every commercial
> usage of the band name "Hawkwind" would be legally required to include
> the "TM" designation (or the circle-R designation, once the trademark
> is registered).
>
I'm not sure how this all works, but I think one can only trademark a
certain stylized portrayal of the word.  Cf the band Chicago.
Obviously, one can't trademark a name of a whole city, but the
group did trademark their rendition of the city name.  I'm sure Kiss
must have done something like this!


> Interesting fact: you can own a trademark on a name that's not your
> own. Next time you're in a used record store, take a look at the Billy
> Joel albums (there should be tons in the budget bin).

Never enough!

  The trademark
> on the name "Billy Joel" is owned by his ex-manager, who collects
> royalties on the use of the trademark, even though he ceased to be
> BJ's manager LONG before the guy had any hits (that's what's called a
> REALLY BAD management contract).
>
Yeah, but there is some poetic justice to the scenario you've
described!


theo

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