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shamrokchick
Forum Legend
I am an Eagle.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 02-08-2008
Posts: 817
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This is from the U.S. Copyright Office:
Names, titles, and short phrases or expressions are not subject to copyright protection. Even if a name, title, or short phrase is novel or distinctive or if it lends itself to a play on words, it cannot be protected by copyright. The Copyright Office cannot register claims to exclusive rights in brief combinations of words such as:
* Names of products or services
* Names of businesses, organizations, or groups (including the name of a group of performers)
* Names of pseudonyms of individuals (including pen name or stage name)
* Titles of works
* Catchwords, catchphrases, mottoes, slogans, or short advertising expressions
* Mere listings of ingredients, as in recipes, labels, or formulas. When a recipe or formula is accompanied by explanation or directions, the text directions may be copyrightable, but the recipe or formula itself remains uncopyrightable.
Subject Matter of Copyright
Copyright protection under the copyright code (title 17, section 102, U.S. Code) extends only to original works of authorship. The statute states clearly that ideas and concepts cannot be protected by copyright. To be protected by copyright, a work must contain at least a certain minimum amount of authorship in the form of original literary, musical, pictorial, or graphic expression. Names, titles, and other short phrases do not meet these requirements.
Protection under Trademark or Unfair Competition Laws
Some brand names, trade names, slogans, and phrases may be entitled to protection under the general rules of law relating to unfair competition, or they may be entitled to protection and registration under the provisions of state or federal trademark laws. The federal trademark statute covers trademarks and service marksthose words, phrases, symbols, or designs that identify the source of the goods or services of one party and distinguish them from those of others. The Copyright Office has no role in these matters.
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"They say the Titanic sank because it hit an iceberg, but that must have been Galactor's fault too." 
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by shamrokchick on 12-03-2009 at 01:26.
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12-03-2009 01:20
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tatsunokofan
Gatch Guru
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 03-12-2006
Posts: 1513
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Hi all!
| quote: | | The only thing that I can think of is Gerbil Force. |
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Actually, that would be "G" as in "Guinea Pig," which is what most of the hero animal characters are.
| quote: | | Met, I could be wrong, but I think Disney owns most of the Gatch rights. At least ER and possibly G-Force. So if that the case, they own the rights to the name, don't they??? |
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Not with "G-Force." The rights for "Battle of the Planets" and "G-Force" are held by Sandy Frank. All Disney has are the rights for the "Eagle Riders" names, characters, and audio tracks.
| quote: | | There is also the fact that G-Force does not JUST stand for an incarnation of our favourite Gatch show |
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Which is exactly what has happened here. the term "G-Force" is in too wide a usage for any company to claim all rights to it. If Disney/Bruckheimer tried to do a Gatchaman-esque story with that name, then there would be grounds for a legal claim by Sandy Frank. But by making this film so totally unrelated to that, there's no real grounds upon which a claim could be based (At least no claim that has a prayer of being won).
Honestly, I don't see any point in getting worked up over this. The movie will likely come and go and be forgotten as quickly as such classics as "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Space Chimps" did last year and have no lasting impact on the G-Force we're familiar with.
James
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12-03-2009 16:22
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Members browsing this thread: none
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People are disappointed...heh. That'll teach 'em to mess with the real G Force! 
