Same name, same company name and copyright

[budafist]

My little sister is an architecture student. Just for fun, we once looked up her full name on the internet and we found a girl a year or 2 older than her that is a graphic design student with an online portfolio.

Now how does it work when all work of both women are copyright to their own names?...which identical.

Same question goes for companies I guess.

If something was copyrighted with your name on it, does that mean you can use it?

It's a hypothetical situation question here. No one wants to steal anyone's work, just wondering how the protection works.

[Virgo Nightingale]

I guarantee that the copyright goes beyond just the name. If a dispute were to arise from such a situation, I'm sure a judge/mediator etc. would ask both parties for some kind of evidence that would indicate who the true copyright owner is.

[Drazan]

Copyright a piece of work (books, photos, sculpture, physical unique creations)

TradeMark a name (TradeMark is only valid for claims against future names used in relation to the product that the TradeMark Name is applied to. All previous existing businesses, even related products, can hold that name as well. aka Valentino's is a TradeMark name since the early 60's - however there is still one other Valentino's Resturant that was built before the TradeMark was applied and can still be used.)

Patent an idea (usually mechanical/functional)

Imagine how many John Smiths out there that are artists. I doubt they have any trouble using their own name for work. Now if your sister claimed or inferred that portfolio as her own - then there would be a copyright infringment.

=)
Jade

[xplod_ldg]

Copyright a piece of work (books, photos, sculpture, physical unique creations)

TradeMark a name (TradeMark is only valid for claims against future names used in relation to the product that the TradeMark Name is applied to. All previous existing businesses, even related products, can hold that name as well. aka Valentino's is a TradeMark name since the early 60's - however there is still one other Valentino's Resturant that was built before the TradeMark was applied and can still be used.)

Patent an idea (usually mechanical/functional)

Imagine how many John Smiths out there that are artists. I doubt they have any trouble using their own name for work. Now if your sister claimed or inferred that portfolio as her own - then there would be a copyright infringment.

=)
Jade

I totaly agree.

[martyng]

Tell her to use a nickname on her stuff. I cleverly came up with 'martyng'