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So what if they used his name? It was just “Carl Sagan” not “Carl Sagan Sucks”. If a parent named their kid “Carl Sagan” should another Carl be able to demand

So what if they used his name? It was just “Carl Sagan” not “Carl Sagan Sucks”. If a parent named their kid “Carl Sagan” should another Carl be able to demand the parents change a child’s name? Completely ridiculous case and I’m glad the judge saw through the nonsense.

sandworm101 5y ago
Yes. If someone more famous than you appears with the same name, you can be told to stop using that name. At least online. (I dont cite to cnn often, but they were the first reasonable result when i googled around for the story.) http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/25/kate.middleton.facebook/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/25/kate.middleton.fa... 2011. "London -- Several Facebook users have had their profiles deleted from the social networking site because they share their name with a soon-to-be princess. Kate Middleton, 33, from Melbourne, Australia, had her account shut down last week, after Facebook suspected her of pretending to be the fiancée of Britain's Prince William."
- throwoutway 5y ago
  That is Facebook’s action, which is depriving people of services just because they share a name. But it’s not the court of law and I think we can all agree that Facebook’s actions are depressingly dystopian.
- cortesoft 5y ago
  I don’t understand how one private company having a specific username policy means anything. They could tell people to stop using a username for any reason they want to. That is completely different from being compelled by law to not use a name.
  - sandworm101 5y ago
    Until a court tells you that you have to abide the policies of the online platforms. Not being allowed to use facebook can have realworld implications. Actors dont use stagenames just because they sound better. They are often to avoid these sorts of legal issues. (Like the three different "Brian Cox" presenters on the BBC. Luckily they rarely cause confusion as they are very different people.)

sandworm101 5y ago

Yes. If someone more famous than you appears with the same name, you can be told to stop using that name. At least online. (I dont cite to cnn often, but they were the first reasonable result when i googled around for the story.) http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/25/kate.middleton.facebook/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/01/25/kate.middleton.fa... 2011. "London -- Several Facebook users have had their profiles deleted from the social networking site because they share their name with a soon-to-be princess. Kate Middleton, 33, from Melbourne, Australia, had her account shut down last week, after Facebook suspected her of pretending to be the fiancée of Britain's Prince William."

throwoutway 5y ago
That is Facebook’s action, which is depriving people of services just because they share a name. But it’s not the court of law and I think we can all agree that Facebook’s actions are depressingly dystopian.
cortesoft 5y ago
I don’t understand how one private company having a specific username policy means anything. They could tell people to stop using a username for any reason they want to. That is completely different from being compelled by law to not use a name.
- sandworm101 5y ago
  Until a court tells you that you have to abide the policies of the online platforms. Not being allowed to use facebook can have realworld implications. Actors dont use stagenames just because they sound better. They are often to avoid these sorts of legal issues. (Like the three different "Brian Cox" presenters on the BBC. Luckily they rarely cause confusion as they are very different people.)