NOTICE Avatars

[mikkelstuff]

I created my own avatar. A pretty good likeness too.

 

[Dijit]

So can we even use the term "Avatar"? That is the title of a James Cameron movie. He may sue...

 

[sgtsandman]

So can we even use the term "Avatar"? That is the title of a James Cameron movie. He may sue...

The term predated the movie but someone might try anyway.

 

[Rick W]

Very timely on this. I was thinking of using a picture of myself, but I was afraid all the very rich, famous good looking movie stars, leaders of industry, and the government would sue me for using their likeness. I’m glad I dodged that bullet.

 

[superj]

i didn't take my avatar photo, ruh roh.

though it is my truck

 

[sgtsandman]

i didn't take my avatar photo, ruh roh.

though it is my truck

 

[97RangerXLT]

Ain't Late Stage Capitalism great.

I guess Hannibal has got to go. And he has been here since 2007

AJ

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Ain't Late Stage Capitalism great.

I guess Hannibal has got to go. And he has been here since 2007

AJ

I thought that was a picture of you?!

 

[JohnnyO]

Yet, our legal system is supposed to be based on "innocent until proven guilty". The burden of proof should be on the accuser.

In this case it's not even the offended parties that are doing it. It's lawyers using AI to search for images.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Ain't Late Stage Capitalism great.

I guess Hannibal has got to go. And he has been here since 2007

AJ

I’m not sure how long my previous one existed on here, but it was very likely prior to 07…

 

[Ranger850]

I created my own avatar. A pretty good likeness too.

same here, lol

 

[12° North Industries]

Mostly off-topic in the other direction.. Believe it or not, You can register your name as an .LLC, Copyright it, file some additional paperwork, and ideally SUE anyone who even USES your name i.e. Experian the Credit Bureau has an account under your name without your permission - Lawsuit

You could ideally run the gambit, and go down the list and sue them all for copyright infringement; DMV, Child Support, anyone you don't want them using your "likeness" and "name". Where it stops or how outlandish it gets is yet to be found, but I have heard of a few people who have no less than a dozen+ lawsuits going on and disturbingly--winning cases and stacking cash from it.

I would bet these lawyers coming after people are doing something similar.. welcome to the 2025+ money grab culture

 

[ShhhhhDougsHere]

@12° North Industries
I think I may like but I'm to dumb to know for sure yet.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Mostly off-topic in the other direction.. Believe it or not, You can register your name as an .LLC, Copyright it, file some additional paperwork, and ideally SUE anyone who even USES your name i.e. Experian the Credit Bureau has an account under your name without your permission - Lawsuit

You could ideally run the gambit, and go down the list and sue them all for copyright infringement; DMV, Child Support, anyone you don't want them using your "likeness" and "name". Where it stops or how outlandish it gets is yet to be found, but I have heard of a few people who have no less than a dozen+ lawsuits going on and disturbingly--winning cases and stacking cash from it.

I would bet these lawyers coming after people are doing something similar.. welcome to the 2025+ money grab culture

Take it from someone who has copyrights and knows something about the laws.

Copyright doesn't work like that. You can't copyright your name and prohibit someone else from using it. Something short like that, especially a personal name, cannot be copyrighted. Trying this is essentially another form of "sovereign citizen" nonsense. Turning your name into an LLC doesn't change this. And all Experian would have to do is delete your info and, surprise!, no credit record on file, so good luck getting a loan for your LLC.

Your likeness is technically a different story. But even here there are exceptions, such as your appearance in a media photo of a news event. The principle is that no one is supposed to be able to profit from your image without your permission, but public interest overrides that sometimes as with news events or the cops looking for you because you're a mass murderer.

A trademark registration is possible for a new name for a product, but here again you cannot turn your own personal name into a trademark.

If someone is trying to sue over use of their name, that doesn't work with government agencies. Good luck. The government has much deeper pockets than anyone suing. If private parties are really paying in such suits, it must be simply to throw some money that person's way to make an idiot go away. If such a suit actually made it to court, it would get thrown out as frivolous, and the plaintiff who started the case could face sanctions and orders to pay the defendants' legal bills.

I would have to see a legal citation of a case to believe that anyone won a suit over copyright infringement in use of his name. I'll bet no one here can come up with a citation. Also, BS is common with a lot of these people who claim they won something.

 

[ekrampitzjr]

Just wanted to add: there is a lot of nonsense circulating about copyright, trademarks, patents, etc. For example, you cannot "buy up" a patent and render it secret so no one can reference it. This claim makes the rounds about companies buying miracle devices such as engines that supposedly run on water. A US patent or patent application is always public record. Even patents that have been withdrawn because the invention didn't work are still available to view, and you can do this online.