Can you name your business after a movie character?

You can name your company anything you want. Repercussions depends on whether using the name breaks any laws. Two concerns are copyright and trademark laws. A famous character can be protected by copyrights and trademarks.

Can you name a brand after a fictional character?

A consumer must easily associate the fictional name with your brand. For example, the name John Smith is common among Australians and does not distinctively identify a particular character. So, even if John Smith is the lead character’s name, it is unlikely that you will be able to trade mark it.

Is the name of a character copyrighted?

IANAL disclaimer but generally character names themselves cannot be copyrighted. They may be trademarked but only if the literary work/movie/or a related product were named after the character. So, trademark would only come into play for secondary characters in widely merchandised works.

Can I name my product after a character?

You can name your business after a fictional character, if you have the trademark rights to the name, or the name is in public domain.

Can I name my business after a Disney character?

A trademark prohibits use of the name for commercial use. Disney is VERY good at trademarking their character names (and they own Marvel), so most of your examples are off the table. The same with most movies. But a character name, divorced of any other representation of the character, cannot be copyrighted.

Can I name my product after a movie?

Typically, copyright and trademark law do not protect movie titles. Because most movie titles simply describe movies rather than help identify their source (for example, the producing studio), they typically do not qualify for trademark protection.

Can you trademark a characters name?

Can a Fictional Character be a Trademark? Yes, the name of a fictional character or its graphical representation can be registered as a trademark if it is being used as a trademark. A fictional character can be used as a trademark in many ways, such as using the character as a logo for a business or for retail items.

Is it legal to use Disney characters’ names and images?

However, it’s still possible to use Disney characters’ images or names if you obtain a license or use the character in a legal manner. Disney holds numerous copyrights and trademarks that restrict the use of the names and images of its characters.

Are movie characters protected by copyright law?

Famous franchise movie characters, like Rambo, Snake Plisskin, and RoboCop, are protected by copyright law because of the copyright in the film and script, but only to the extent of the creative expression by the author.

Can You copyright a video game character?

Copyright in Characters: This line can get pretty blurry, especially in the context of written stories since there often isn’t a visual element and the author must describe the character with sufficient originality. For video games though, the unique expression is the actual visual character created by the artist.

How do you get a license to use Disney characters?

Disney’s licensing website provides instructions for requesting a license and answers to frequently asked questions about licensing its characters. For those who cannot or do not want to obtain a license from Disney, use of characters is still possible if the use does not infringe on Disney’s intellectual properties.