Re: Question About Names

Holly Huckeba <huckeba[_at_]nevada.edu> wrote:
>
> I haven't been able to find an answer to this question in my own
> library so I'm throwing it out to the group. Any help you can provide
> me is appreciated. My question: What rights does a person have to
> their own first and last name? I would think that as long as I'm using
> another person's name not to impersonate them or make money from it's
> use it would be okay. I need more information on this issue. Thanks.

There was a tradename case in Minnesota some years ago by the Mayo Clinc againt Mayo's Drug Store in Rochester. As it turned out, the person who opened the store was named Mayo [Last Name]. He was nonetheless enjoined from using the name, in spite of any proved intent to confuse, on the basis that there was a likelihood of confusion. I use this case in opposition to the oft-cited proposition that one can always use his or her name as a business name.

-- 
Steven J. Timmer
Merritt, Furber & Timmer
stimmer[_at_]bmn.net