I just read that Katsumi is going to change her performer name to Katsuni
I think it's because her company (Digital playground) wants to copywright her name, and there is some stupid vietnamese nail salon chain called Katsumi.
I don't think that Katsuni doesn't sound as good as Katsumi. I wish that that fucking nail salon chain could change name instead.
I doubt that another performer using the name would get far, trademark or no. It's probably a merchandising thing - get your Katsumi love doll here, folks!
if the salon is a registered trade mark and covered all classes than Digital Playground can't register her stage name as it is now , it is the same thing if an actress wants to call herself McDonald maybe she can but can't register that name as a trade mark since it has been already.
If "Digital Playground" can't "copyright her name" because of a "stupid vietnamese nail salon chain called Katsumi," nobody else (as in other porn actresses/studios) would be able to either.
According to this site, you can't copyright a name (see #5).
So MacDonald's isn't a name? it depends anyway you can't copyright a name as a name like John but you can trademark a logo WITH a name in a specific class of products also we don't know what Katsumi is nor what the salon protected In example Yves Saint Laurent is a trademark and it is protected and his logo is as well , but you can't protect the name Yves although Valentino is protected but with his surname. Pierre Cardin is protected as well Chanel is protected as well Even in other kind of products Ford for example or Ferrari hotels like Hilton or others Martini Johnnie Walker Jack Daniel's Bell (telephones) Cartier Bic Levi's
so if there's a trade mark on a product this product can be protected in many ways in example Ferrari and Coca Cola protected everything even clothes and watches
Last thing your links talks about copyright which isn't the same as Trade Mark
Edited by - Laurie Cameron Fan on 4/22/2007 1:11:33 PM
The question isn't whether they could copyright/trademark it for themselves, but whether they could use the name unpunished and exploit it to make money.
I think if she changes her name there will be a lag time of about .2 seconds before it's apparent that it's the same adorable chick with the same amazing ass giving the same stupendous blow jobs and we'll all adapt.
note that Katsumi can use that name as she did so far only that name is already registered and cannot be registered again by Digital Playground. the problem apparently isn't the name but its registration
Edited by - Laurie Cameron Fan on 4/22/2007 1:37:48 PM
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Posted - Apr 22 2007 : 2:36PM
It's very difficult to trademark a name internationally, so I highly doubt that some nail salon in Vietnam did an international trademark or copyright on it.
Who knows, maybe part of her DP contract would be that they wanted to TM her name in the movies she's in, but she didn't want to give up the Kastsumi name to them. Lest we forget Tera Patrick, Sophia Santi and Jesse Jane.
You know, I really don't need you tearing me a new one because I know the difference between a copyright and a trademark. Why do you think I provided the link I did
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Posted - Apr 22 2007 : 3:41PM
I hope she/they research the number of times her name is searched for in the various search engines before changing it. Makes no sense to change her name when she is so established.
I say she ought to sue Digital Playground. It's girls like her that give the company any credibility.
Digital Playground doesn't know how to make movies anyway. They can't shoot scenes correctly. All you see through most of the scene is no more than 1/5 of the woman at any one time. That's a real turnon. They ought to take some serious lessons from 3rd Degree or Zero Tolerance.
In the "Big Tits" series Robby D. zooms in on the breasts during the entire scene. Check out Texas Presley in "Jack's Big Tit Show" and tell me how much of her you see. The camera is about 6" from her breasts during most of the scene. Robby D. said that was a fetish series and that's why he did it. They don't even know the meaning of the word "fetish".
The original McDonalds is Lord McDonald in the U.K. His family was around way before McDonalds Hamburgers was ever established. "60 Minutes" ran a story on that in the 1980's after McDonald's Hamburgers didn't want any other Restaurants or Retailers in Central London with the name "McDonald" other than themselves.
On the other hand, if Digital Playground is going to promote her, they don't want a search of her name to turn up one of the 200 or so non-Digital Playground movies that she has done. They would rather have someone search on "Katsuni" and have the result turn up only the projects that she has done for them.
This is not being done to benefit Katsumi. This is being done to benefit Digital Playground.
From what I read on the official government trademarks website, it seems to me that Katsumi can keep using Katsumi as her name no matter what. I guess the only issue arises if DP wants (insists) on trademarking their contract performer's names. There are a lot of ins-and-outs to consider on the trademarks website (which is why I didn't attempt to explain it here).
For whatever it's worth, I think Katsumi would be foolish to let anyone trademark her name (assuming they were able to). Why would anyone sell the rights to their name for relatively peanuts?
Maybe it' because of my poor English but that's was exactly my point.
She can use her name but that name can't be registered as a Trademark because it has already been
The content of their material is copyrighted whether she uses the name Katsumi or not but the name by itself can't be registered.
that's what I was trying to point out
If you had the impression I was trying to teach you something you already know (of course you know if you're the one of IAFD I presume you are) then accept my apologies I didn't intend to
BTW I agree with you about the registered name , since she can't use it again eccept in DP productions if she go out to shoot for any else company or want to create his own company or whatever she wants she can't or at lesat she will have to change her name again
They probably would if they thought that they could get online retailers and websites such, as ADT, to make the same change on their sites. Unless they believe that they can do that, changing the boxcovers would just cost money, without generating any benefit.
I agree this isn't the first star who changed there name after getting a contract from them. She will always be the sexy Katsumi to me, I mean Katsuni. I wonder did she know about the name change before she signed the contract.
This has nothing to do with Digital Playground. Katsumi's in the middle of a lawsuit in France with her name because someone else is also named Katsumi and it was her idea to change it to Katsuni because of her huge fanbase there.
Everyone, please make sure you get the facts right.
Katsuni @ AEBN
Posted - Apr 21 2007 : 6:36PM