[MODS: I apologize if this belongs in a different forum. I won't object if you move it.]

A woman in Texas tried to change her name to , but the court denied her request:

https://reason.com/volokh/2022/08/25/no-name-change-for-you-princess/

Yeah you can not do that. Prince did not do that either.

And honestly, she's not that original. Prince wasn't even the first to adopt a symbol as a name, nor did he actually do it legally. Ali did, did not.

And ol' girl needs to sit down. We've all had fun with it, but damn girl - get a life!

PS When I was a hairstylist at JCPenney in the 90s, Prince was in the midst of his era. I was just loving everything he was putting out. I had bought a random necklace in the store somewhere and wore it all the time. It had some random metal shaped thing on it. I adopited it as my own symbol. I used to send reminder cards to my clients and trace the symbol on the card. (I only sent it to the clients who got the joke.)

Thirty years later, I still have the cardbord cutout of that symbol.

Besides all the reasons above, it's a registered trademark and copyright.

The estate is going after this kind of thing (finally). Some vitamin company tried to copyright "Purple Rain" for their line of cheesy supplements and they got knocked down.

laytonian said:

Besides all the reasons above, it's a registered trademark and copyright.

The estate is going after this kind of thing (finally). Some vitamin company tried to copyright "Purple Rain" for their line of cheesy supplements and they got knocked down.

The fact that it's registered trademark might matter, but I don't know that we could say that for certain.

The purpose of a trademark is to distinguish a product / service as coming from a soul source (a single company). You might be able to argue that changing your name to doesn't violate the spirit of this if you have no plans to use your name for commerical purposes. In other words, is simply your name and, for you, has no commerical application.

If it's truly being used just as a person's name, you can't copyright a person's name (for example, you can't copyright "Michael"). If I wanted to change my name to "Prince Rogers Nelson", basically I could, so long as I wasn't attempting to commit fraud by using my new name to approriate things belonging to Prince or decieve people in a commerical / financial setting.

It would be an interesting concept for the court to consider.

lurker316 said:

laytonian said:

Besides all the reasons above, it's a registered trademark and copyright.

The estate is going after this kind of thing (finally). Some vitamin company tried to copyright "Purple Rain" for their line of cheesy supplements and they got knocked down.

The fact that it's registered trademark might matter, but I don't know that we could say that for certain.

The purpose of a trademark is to distinguish a product / service as coming from a soul source (a single company). You might be able to argue that changing your name to doesn't violate the spirit of this if you have no plans to use your name for commerical purposes. In other words, is simply your name and, for you, has no commerical application.

If it's truly being used just as a person's name, you can't copyright a person's name (for example, you can't copyright "Michael"). If I wanted to change my name to "Prince Rogers Nelson", basically I could, so long as I wasn't attempting to commit fraud by using my new name to approriate things belonging to Prince or decieve people in a commerical / financial setting.

It would be an interesting concept for the court to consider.

I don't understand "might matter but I don't know that we could say that for certain".

Are you saying that I am not truthful (lying) abuot the trademarks and copyrights?
Even the Purple Rain FONT is copyrighted; the estate blocked one employee's book because he used the same fond on his bookcover.
The sales of that cheap "Purple Rain" wine (just a label stuck on anything) has been halted.

Prince symbol was traemarked as "Lovve Symbol 2".

laytonian said:

onlyforaminute said:

There are limitations to legally changing your name to a celebrity's name. Michael Jackson is a very common name, there aren't any legal obstacles on that alone but to Prince Rogers Nelson there probably are several obstacles to that since it's too uncommon unless it originally was on an individuals birth certificate.

.

I knew a Mick Jackson and a Jim Bond and had a relation known as Albert Hall.

IanRG said:

onlyforaminute said:

I know a couple of Michael Jacksons I assumed everybody does. But from what I've read some celebrity names are restricted from others changing their name to. Per FindLaw

You’re also not allowed to change your name to an intentionally misleading name, such as that of a celebrity. Individuals are prohibited from using a name that includes punctuation or numerals, though some courts have permitted the use of periods or the spelling out of numerals.

.

This bit would also be a key reason. Plus how do you say it?

the fact that is it trademarked is not an issue for having that for name. You can have a name that is a trademarked word or phrase. The issue here is that is not a word so it would likely be declined as a name. (Note: a tradmark can be applied to a word or phrase or symbol or emblem ect. This is not the same as a copyright)

But a person would likely not be allowed to work as a public figure under that symbol. (even if it was not all that orginal: Prince and now the estate has the trademark)

OnlyNDaUsa said:

the fact that is it trademarked is not an issue for having that for name. You can have a name that is a trademarked word or phrase. The issue here is that is not a word so it would likely be declined as a name. (Note: a tradmark can be applied to a word or phrase or symbol or emblem ect. This is not the same as a copyright)

But a person would likely not be allowed to work as a public figure under that symbol. (even if it was not all that orginal: Prince and now the estate has the trademark)

.

Hence anyone can call themselves Kylie, but a secondary reality tv personality failed to be able to trademark Kylie but can trademark "Kylie cosmetics".

Is this the same heifer that said "Little Red Corvette" was about her? It's the same level of "uh huh, right!"

IanRG said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Is this the same heifer that said "Little Red Corvette" was about her? It's the same level of "uh huh, right!"

No she lives in Oklahoma--her name is May something?

I tend to believe her at lest that she was ONE of the inspirations for LRC. She did date him in the late 70s.

It that she claims this but she also claims "Sexy Dancer" and "5 Woman" that seem like a reach. Especially "5 Woman."

She is or was writing a book... who knows?

OnlyNDaUsa said:

No she lives in Oklahoma--her name is May something?

I tend to believe her at lest that she was ONE of the inspirations for LRC. She did date him in the late 70s.

How do we know they dated back then? Just wondering.

TrivialPursuit said:

OnlyNDaUsa said:

No she lives in Oklahoma--her name is May something?

I tend to believe her at lest that she was ONE of the inspirations for LRC. She did date him in the late 70s.

How do we know they dated back then? Just wondering.

Yea, the stories that come from women who supposedly dated him are rampant. I have a friend that worked for a National insurance company that talked to a woman customer that grew up in Minnie in the 70's. She said that she had "hooked up" with Prince after a party and said he was not very "good at it." Could have happened, could have not. Everyone nowadays looking for their 15 minutes of fame. After all, it WAS high school.....

Yeah this is why Morris Day could not just go out as THE TIME its trademarked, he can use Morris Day and the Time, but not just the Time especially since he has different members too. I know people dont like to agree with this, but this is why he'd trademarked things, Vanity 6 is his, Apollonia 6 is his, the Family is his etc.... It may seem rude or F'd up but its business, if he didn't trademark something like Vanity 6 someone could just insert new members and go out under that name, would we be cool with that?