# Does someone need permission to use a celebrity's name in a song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 4, 2018, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422 "2018-10-04T13:48:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/21 "2018-10-05T16:24:00Z")
sometimes you cannot use your own name to start a business if you sold a business with your name and you agree to not use your name as part of the sale . For example Leo Fender sold Fender guitars to CBS and then started a new company called G&L guitars for George and Leo, George was a friend of his. ---
**Author:** ![Topologist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/topologist/32/3208_2.png) [@Topologist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Topologist)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/22 "2018-10-05T17:17:43Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > sometimes you cannot use your own name to start a business if you sold a business with your name and you agree to not use your name as part of the sale . > > For example Leo Fender sold Fender guitars to CBS and then started a new company called G&L guitars for George and Leo, George was a friend of his. Similarly, Steve Herrell founded Steve’s Ice Cream but sold it in 1977. When he wanted to start a new ice cream company he had to call it Herrell’s Ice Cream. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/23 "2018-10-05T18:39:21Z")
I doubt if Cole Porter asked for permission to name-check people in “You’re The Top”, or Tom Lehrer in his skit on George Murphy, or the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band for all the real people mentioned in The Intro and The Outro. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/24 "2018-10-05T19:32:37Z")
I read that before the Stones released “Starfucker” their reps asked Steve McQueen if he would have any objection to the lyric “Ali McGraw got mad at you for giving head to Steve McQueen”; McQueen replied it was fine with him. Of course it was the 70’s. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/25 "2018-10-05T19:58:10Z")
Song lyrics have the same rules as anything else. You can refer to real people. But - You can’t defame them You can’t invade their privacy You can’t misappropriate their personas for commercial purposes ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2018, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/26 "2018-10-05T21:35:27Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Hah! Found it. It made its way into the Washington Post even: > > [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/frederick-council-member-kirby-delauter-threatens-to-sue-if-local-paper-uses-name/2015/01/06/5a923232-95d3-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a\_story.html?utm\_term=.96405fb32a2d](https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/md-politics/frederick-council-member-kirby-delauter-threatens-to-sue-if-local-paper-uses-name/2015/01/06/5a923232-95d3-11e4-8005-1924ede3e54a_story.html?utm_term=.96405fb32a2d) OK, what I want to know is, did he ever follow through on the threat, or did he try to pretend it didn’t happen when it didn’t go the way he thought it would? ---
**Author:** ![JB99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/439d5e/32.png) [@JB99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JB99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/27 "2018-10-06T02:03:45Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > OK, what I want to know is, did he ever follow through on the threat, or did he try to pretend it didn’t happen when it didn’t go the way he thought it would? Apparently he apologized for it. > **[Kirby Delauter, Sherbert Deluder](https://www.loweringthebar.net/2015/01/kirby-delauter-sherbert-deluder.html)** > > I'm a little late to this party, but I didn't want to pass up a chance to mention Kirby Delauter, the county councilman who threatened to sue the Frederick News-Post if it used his n… ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/28 "2018-10-06T03:18:05Z")
I was all prepared to have a little bit of respect, then he went and qualified it… ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/29 "2018-10-06T12:46:43Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Song lyrics have the same rules as anything else. You can refer to real people. > > But - > > You can’t defame them Yes you can. Song lyrics are much like anything else written or said. Not much chance of it happening but it could. Just thought of another problem: If you threaten someone, esp. someone under Secret Service protection, you could have some explainin’ to do. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/30 "2018-10-06T13:50:45Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Yes you can. Song lyrics are much like anything else written or said. Not much chance of it happening but it could. This statement seems to contradict itself. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2018, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422/31 "2018-10-06T14:20:06Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Wait wait wait - you are telling me that Fountains of Wayne have songs other than “Stacy’s Mom”? Sugar, you don’t know what you’re missin’. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-someone-need-permission-to-use-a-celebritys-name-in-a-song/822422.md?page=1)