Having the rights to a wrestling name.

[Guest ChikoDemono]

I did not know where to ask this, many apologies if this is in the wrong spot. Recently, I have been thinking about how the World Wrestling Entertainment owns the rights to many wrestling gimmicks such as Razor Ramon and Diesel, while some like Raven get to keep theirs. Does anybody know how or where they achieved the rights? Is it a patent thing or something, or does a wrestler have to legally change their name (IE Warrior)? Thanks in advance.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Well, Raven was Raven before coming to the WWE. Diesel and Razor Ramon were characters specifically created by the WWE and they just hired wrestlers to fill the roles as the character. I'm sure that who owns the rights to names and images are covered in the specific contracts and anyone who had a certain name or gimmick before working for the WWE would retain the writes to said name unless they sold the rights to the WWE.

[Guest Steviekick]

Wrestlers like Raven get to keep their gimmick/name because they've had it before they became employees of WWE. Basicaly WWE licenses it from the wrestler.

[Guest ChikoDemono]

Well, I meant like where as in buildings. For example, would lawyers have to be present and display a form or something that stated that the individual owned the rights to his gimmick?

[Guest JHawk]

Usually if the company decides to try to keep it for themselves (a la Diesel) then it's written into the contract.

 

You can register these with the federal copyright office to make sure nobody else uses them.

[Guest Steviekick]

I think they usually copyright the gimmick after they've signed the wrestler, but regardless, as soon as they have the gimmick they get it copyrighted