How to find out about legal rights to use a name?

Quakerfriend

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:43 AM
Original message

How to find out about legal rights to use a name?

I have a somewhat famous grandfather and would like to find out how to obtain the sole rights to use his name.

AND, whether or not someone has already obtained those rights.

Any advice you could offer would be appreciated kindly.:9

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Sgent

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:47 AM
Response to Original message

1. Probably talk to a lawyer

unless he sold them or specifically mentioned them in his will, it will go with the intestate laws of the state he died in. Ideally, find out who the attorney was (assuming there was one) who handled his estate.

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Quakerfriend

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:49 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. Thx for your relpy.

He died in 1880!

Do you think it would be posted an internet sight?

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bleedingheart

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:50 AM
Response to Original message

3. Names are not protected by copyright...

but if you own a famous image of your grandfather you may be able to copyright that image...

Check out the US Copyright site..

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

I like the entry about copyrighting someone's sighting of elvis...haahahah...they must get a lot of questions about it to be on the FAQ or someone there has a wicked sense of humor.

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Quakerfriend

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:54 AM
Response to Reply #3

5. great site, thank you!

What I want is not so much the copyright but the sole liscence to use his name.

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bleedingheart

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Mon Nov-14-05 09:08 AM
Response to Reply #5

6. definitely talk to a lawyer...

I know that there was a big stink a few years ago about people using the Romanov name and the royal seals to sell merchandise. I guess the morons using them figured the entire family died...but clearly they didn't know that there are still many russian, royal, romanovs around...

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Spinzonner

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Mon Nov-14-05 08:52 AM
Response to Original message

4. Might check for a registered Trademark

http://www.uspto.gov/

Though that might not be definitive

Nolo Press (www.nolo.com) has some books on Trademarks

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