Witchblade Copyrighted?

[ThisAdamGuy]

Is anyone here a copyright expert? One of the characters in the story in working on is a magic using assassin. She combines stealth, spell usage, and knife fighting. I was going to call her class a "witchblade" but there's already a comic series and TV show with that name. So obviously there are copyrights at play, but how far do those copyright go? Would I be allowed to call my character a witchblade as long as I didn't title the story Witchblade and copy things directly from the comic, or is that word just completely off limits?

 

[NotaNuffian]

Is anyone here a copyright expert? One of the characters in the story in working on is a magic using assassin. She combines stealth, spell usage, and knife fighting. I was going to call her class a "witchblade" but there's already a comic series and TV show with that name. So obviously there are copyrights at play, but how far do those copyright go? Would I be allowed to call my character a witchblade as long as I didn't title the story Witchblade and copy things directly from the comic, or is that word just completely off limits?

Just don't put the name into the title I guess.

How do I copyright a name, title, slogan, or logo?
Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office, [email protected] or see Circular 33, for further information. However, copyright protection may be available for logo artwork that contains sufficient authorship. In some circumstances, an artistic logo may also be protected as a trademark.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

Would I be allowed to call my character a witchblade as long as I didn't title the story Witchblade

You could even use Witchblade as the title as copywrite does not cover them. But yes, you can call the class that without consequence.

 

[Valmond]

Easy workaround if it is trademarked.

Bladewitch.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

As long as you don't use the same description or give your character the same name as Sarah Pezzini or any of the other Witchblade hosts (hilariously, the male bearers get the same ultra-revealing outfit the female ones almost wear), or describe the weapon itself, you should be good...
BUT... there was a Package or Specialty or Prestige Class or something like that (knew someone who played one but don't recall which edition it was from even) for D&D or AD&D that also used this term; WotC/Hasbro does not seem QUITE as litigious as TSR was in the 90s, so you probably would be safe unless you make it an exact copy of that game.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Easy workaround if it is trademarked.

Bladewitch.

Synonym to WitchBlade: HexEdge.