. . . . "You have a great idea for a character name! The problem is someone else has found out. And that someone else had the idea first. And they used it... a long, long time ago. Like, before you were born. The character may not even be that well-known (or known at all) today. Too bad -- you missed your chance. Better change the name before airtime, or you'll find yourself knee deep in the paperwork of a trademark infringement lawsuit. The same reasoning behind many a Stealth Pun. Examples of Writing Around Trademarks include:"@en . . . . "You have a great idea for a character name! The problem is someone else has found out. And that someone else had the idea first. And they used it... a long, long time ago. Like, before you were born. The character may not even be that well-known (or known at all) today. Too bad -- you missed your chance. Better change the name before airtime, or you'll find yourself knee deep in the paperwork of a trademark infringement lawsuit. If word gets out online, the original name may still be used by the fans. Efforts to have this listed as a violation of intellectual property are no doubt pending. However, certain uses are (at least in the United States) covered under what are known as Fair Use Laws. The same reasoning behind many a Stealth Pun. Contrast Captain Ersatz, where the writers are trying to use an already existing character but can't. See also Bland-Name Product, You Wanna Get Sued?, Lawyer-Friendly Cameo, AKA-47, and Clumsy Copyright Censorship. Examples of Writing Around Trademarks include:"@en . . . . . . . . . "Writing Around Trademarks"@en . .