SPIKE SPIKED
James Joyner
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Saturday, June 14, 2003
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2 comments
WaPo reports that a judge has actually issued an injunction against “The New TNN” changing its name to “Spike TV” Monday in response to a suit by filmmaker Shelton “Spike” Lee that the name “Spike” infringes on his nickname. I can’t decide what’s more idiotic:
The idea that a word in ordinary use can somehow be copyrighted because some yahoo adopts it as a nickname;
A judge who buys off on this idea; or
TNN trying to start “a network for men” by changing its name to one that has homosexual connotations.
You forgot to mention a guy named “Shelton” adopting the name “Spike,” especially as puny as Lee is.
The NFL is next… no more ‘Spiking’ the ball without royalties to the king of the world