Legal Question in Entertainment Law in Connecticut
Celebrity Name Licensing
If i have a site about Jack Palance per se and I call it JackForever.com and if Jack Palance the celebrity decided to license his name..could he make me change my name of my site even though it's non-profit and all we do is relate news about him to other people?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Celebrity Name Licensing
Provided your site clearly disclaims any association with or sponsorhip by Jack Palance, you will probably be okay since your site sounds like it is positive on him. If you engage in any activity for which you charge and which you promote the likeness or name of Jack Palance, you run a risk of crossing the line. By what means does your site generate revenue? I use a follow the money approach to celebrity licensing issues. If you are making money riding the coattails of Jack Palance you can expect that Guns Will Travel and you may be in their sites.