(no subject)

[theweaselking]

Awkward: Showing up to your high school reunion to discover that a classmate has taken your name as a pseudonym. Bonus awardness: The classmate did this because they didn't want to put their real name on their porn career.

Comments

[stormfeather.livejournal.com]

Oh for the love of...

If she was actually impersonating her or something, that'd be one thing. But just using the name? C'mon, people do share names, y'know. And it's not even her first name. I can see her being annoyed with it, and humiliated, but having a leg to stand on in court?

[waterspyder.livejournal.com]

It's kind of embarassing to run into people who think you're a porn star, and can actually seriously impair a woman's ability to keep a decent job. I mean, not all porn stars change their name to make themselves sound hotter. If it were coincidence, then it would get thrown out, but they knew each other in high school and are from the same hometown.


The Smoking Gun has the court document:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0703072alias1.html

[stormfeather.livejournal.com]

Meh, I'm not saying it's a coincidence, just that I still don't think she has much to stand on - the porn star isn't actually *impersonating* the other woman, she's just using the same name. And for the name to affect the other woman's career, a) the people hiring her would have to know of the porn star anyhow, and b) would have to think it's her - which should be simple enough to clear up, shouldn't it?

If this were upheld, where would it end? You could never name a kid (or change your name to) a name that someone, somewhere, already uses? Just in case?

[waterspyder.livejournal.com]

They wouldn't necessarily have to know the porn star. Someone could see the name on the internet or a poster somewhere, and next thing you know "Do you remember Kim from high school? Guess what she's doing now." Rumours are damaging. Besides, what employer is going to not hire a person and blatantly state it's because they're pretty sure they were an adult film star?

The other issue is because she's using it as a professional name. You can change your personal name to anything you damn well like (except I think in New Zealand they just ruled that you can't use numbers in your name after parents tried to name their baby "4real") but using someone else's name professionally means that you are at least intending to make money off of a name, and in this case, the name belongs to someone else. Basically it becomes a sort of protected intellectual property that can be defended.

But even in the personal realm, should we consider it any less damaging if a woman assumed another woman's name (not identity), slept around and caused her to have a negative reputation?

[drjamez.livejournal.com]

In the early 90's, there was a porn star named Rod Serling.

I seriously doubt Rod's estate will ever get a penny suing, for cryin' out loud. So to shall this pass.

- James -

[drjamez.livejournal.com]

TOO! Christ, I seriously think I need a new keyboard....

- James -

[grinnifer.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I think this was in a Friends episode back in the day... you know, the one with Pheobe and her sister? *laughs*

Too funny.