Trademark

trade·mark, [treyd-mahrk] noun
1. any name, symbol, figure, letter, word, or mark  adopted and used by a manufacturer or merchant in order to designate his or her goods and to distinguish them from those manufactured or sold by others. A trademark is a proprietary term that is usually registered with the Patent and Trademark Office to assure its exclusive use by its owner. (dictionary.com)

This is what the famous singer and actress Beyoncé Knowles and her husband Shawn Carter, better known as the rapper "Jay-Z", plan to do with their new infant daughters name: Blue Ivy Carter
The have already filled out an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and "The new parents have plans to reserve their child's name for possible use as a brand name for a line of baby-related products, including carriages, diaper bags, and baby cosmetics." says Matthew Perpetua of The Rolling Stone (see the article here).

When I first read this my head began burning. Who has the ability to copyright a person's name? Millions of people are born everyday and named. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if every parent tried to trademark their baby's name. However, as I thought about the use of the name as a brand, it made more sense. But I can't imagine using my child's name as a title for products.

Either way, I'm still shocked at how easy it is becoming to copyright something. The other week I overheard a conversation discussing an "artist" who was attempting to copyright his minimalist style work; like a single dot in the middle of a canvas. What is the limit anymore when you can take all you want? If it's copyrighted you can steal in for free and when it's not you can take for yourself and yourself only.

As much as I'm against limiting the arts, I do believe in a point where things become too ridiculous. There is a point where the lines between a person's original ideas and their influence from another source becomes blurred. Who is to say that there isn't someone else in the millions of people on our earth who's having the same ideas you are? Is there anything really new under the sun?