TYT: Fox News Anchor Sues Hasbro Over Toy

[WhoIsNumberNone]

Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner is suing Hasbro for using her image for a toy hamster and naming it after her. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian (The Point) hosts of The Young Turks discuss. Is this a legitimate lawsuit? Tell us what you thinking the comments.

Read more here: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fox-anchor-harris-faulkner-sues-over-hasbros-harris-faulkner-hamster-n419966

“Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner believes a small plastic hamster is ripping her off, and she wants $5 million for her trouble.

Faulkner sued Hasbro Inc. this week in U.S. District Court in New Jersey for "creating, manufacturing, and distributing for sale a plastic toy hamster named 'Harris Faulkner'" as part of its "Pet Pawsabilities" toy line.

Lawyers for Faulkner — a six-time Emmy Award-winner who anchors "Fox News Weekend" for the news channel — said Hasbro's inches-tall plastic hamster with a butterfly hat "willfully and wrongfully appropriated Faulkner's unique and valuable name and distinctive persona for its own financial gain."

[SheilaT]

1. If they're making money marketing something with her name on it,

they owe her money.

[TiberiusB]

2. Not quite

She'll have to either show that Hasbro willfully took her name to take advantage of her "celebrity" or that her name is unique enough to warrant special protection under the law as any illicit or unauthorized use would reflect directly upon her and potentially damage her earning potential. As far as I can tell from a quick Google search, there are only 3 people with the name "Harris Faulkner" in the U.S., so she may have a case.

[SheilaT]

3. Yup. If she had a common name it would be one thing.

But even if there were fifty Harris Faulkners out there, and she were the only one with a level of celebrity, they'd probably still be on shaky ground.

My sister used to work in Hollywood, and there was some kind of a rule about either a name needing to be relatively common -- over some specific number of those with that exact name, or they needed some kind of permission from at least one name holder. While my sister's name was semi-common, she often simply signed permission to use some version of it.

I happen to have a unique first and last name combination, as in I'm currently the only person in this country with my particular name. And while I have no celebrity, I'd be pretty aware if someone out there were suddenly using my name for something.

One of the reasons I'm not keen to sign my actual first and last name to a lot of things is that I'm easily found.

[timdog44]

4. For what it is worth

and maybe I should be embarrassed

I have never heard of her.

[roody]

5. Fox wins Emmys?! How?

And how does Hasbro NOT know to not use names without permission?