# I got duped by Stephen King's utterly untalented doppleganger **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 22, 2016, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885 "2016-03-22T19:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/21 "2016-03-23T13:10:20Z")
I’d also recommend against buying [_Best of the Beatles_](http://archer2000.tripod.com/chronicles/Bootlegs/SavageBestoftheBeatles.jpg). Not a “best of The Beatles”, but rather a collection of recordings by Pete Best, the former Beatle drummer. Also, the sequel to Bruce Lee’s _Fist of Fury_ - _Fist of Fury II_ - stars Bruce Li. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/22 "2016-03-23T13:23:31Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > The trademark issue on book title’s is a bit murky. > > Note that you can’t trademark just “Stephen King”. You have to trademark a product, e.g., “Stephen King’s Hamburgers”. Hence, “Apple” isn’t trademarkable but Apple Computers" and “Apple Music” are. (Which is a long running issue between those two companies.) > > Could Stephen King trademark “Stephen King’s Books”? Maybe. Better might be “Stephen King’s The Shining Book.” But that wouldn’t stop the OP’s author. > > Companies have used IP laws to protect their “brand” of books. E.g., the “For Dummies” people (IDG and then Wiley), have successfully stopped others from publishing books with “For Dummies” in the title. IIRC, the legal basis is trademark on something like “For Dummies Books”. for what I’m reading, in the United States the Lanham act \*\*does \*\*allow you to trademark your name, as long as it follows certain criteria (your name needs to be the source indicator of determined goods and services, like Stephen King is identified as the source of Stephen King novels, and is distinctive enough that people identifies your product and the brand name) Of course the fake Stephen King may very well live in a country with more lax laws, but if you want to trademark your name, you can. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/23 "2016-03-23T17:01:10Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > No-one’s explored the possibility that he’s gone down the Tom Clancy / Virginia Andrews route of franchising his name and getting hacks to fill up the series. In both cases they were posthumous actions by their greedy estates. > > Maybe that means Stephen King is d-d-d-d-dead! Clancy was doing it while still very much alive. I still remember starting the first ‘Op Centre’ and thinking WTF in the first few pages. Looking on the cover to see the apostrophe. Tom Clancy’s. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/24 "2016-03-23T18:04:53Z")
If you’re a fan of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, who co write books as Preston & Child, beware of a series of ebooks from a guy calling himself Preston Child. He even names his books so they sound like entries from their series. Jackass. ---
**Author:** ![GoodOmens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@GoodOmens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoodOmens)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2016, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/25 "2016-03-23T21:57:48Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because names – whether real names or pen-names – can’t be copyrighted. As my lawyer, Saul Goodman, informed me. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/26 "2016-03-24T04:05:05Z")
Sometimes it’s a good thing. Jill Soubule wrote a song called _[I Kissed A Girl,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ5oX_lTN1w)_ and managed to make a decent living from [confused Katy Perry fans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAp9BKosZXs). ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/27 "2016-03-24T04:23:02Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Hence, “Apple” isn’t trademarkable but Apple Computers" and “Apple Music” are. I’m pretty sure this is wrong as you’ve stated it: “Apple” is trademarkable, but trademarks are only valid within a specific field of endeavor, so two companies named “Apple” can coexist as long as they stick to their respective fields. Apple Computers was sued by Apple Corps (the record company, owner of Apple Records) and the outcome of that trial was that Apple Computer had to pay Apple Corps damages and each company was told/reminded to stay out of the other company’s field. This was reinforced after a 1991 lawsuit, wherein Apple Computer included music files in their Macs and Apple Corps sued, and Apple Computer had to agree that it wouldn’t sell music on physical media. Apple Computer actually won the trademark lawsuit Apple Corps launched in the wake of iTunes, but the final settlement involved Apple Inc buying Apple Corps’ trademark rights and Apple Corps allowing the Beatles’ music to be sold on iTunes. > **[Apple Corps v Apple Computer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Corps_v_Apple_Computer)** > > Between 1978 and 2007 there were a number of legal disputes between Apple Corps (owned by The Beatles) and the computer manufacturer Apple Computer (now Apple Inc.) over competing trademark rights, specifically over the use of the name "Apple" and their respective logos which consist of a profile of an apple. Apple Inc. paid Apple Corps. over three settlements: $80,000 in 1978, $26.5 million in 1991, and $500 million in 2007, when Apple Inc. acquired all the trademarks related to "Apple." > The ... ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/28 "2016-03-24T05:00:51Z")
> [@GoodOmens](#): > > As my lawyer, Saul Goodman, informed me. Funny coincidence - Saul Goodman [actually did “write” a book](http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Go-Jail-Goodmans-Keeping/dp/1427268207)\*. \*It’s actually not out yet but being released April 5. That link is for an audiobook, not sure if they’re releasing a read-only version too. And of course it’s written by someone else, but the [Walmart listing](http://www.walmart.com/ip/Go-Jail-Saul-Goodman-s-Guide-Keeping-Cuffs/49366938) for it lists “Goodman, Saul” as a co-author. ---
**Author:** ![Wilson00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@Wilson00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wilson00)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/29 "2016-03-24T11:36:27Z")
If the names can’t be copyrighted, then new authors like this new Stephen King have a good start 😃 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/30 "2016-03-24T12:21:11Z")
Wow, the OP sure said it. Four sentences in I decided it was the worst short story I’d ever read. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/31 "2016-03-24T12:34:13Z")
Sometimes these things work out well. I was searching for unread humor by [Christopher Moore](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Moore_(author)). I was getting discouraged. It seemed I read his work faster than he produced it. Then I saw a title I _hadn’t_ read. Yeah!! I bought it and immediately realized I’d fucked up. I had purchased the work of [Christopher **G.** Moore](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_G._Moore), a Canadian ex-pat living and writing in Thailand. But I read the book anyway. Then I read his other 24 works of fiction. Along the way he responded to a review I wrote, leading to a few back and forth emails. Ranking authors I’ve read to date I would put Christopher G. Moore way abover Christopher Moore. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/32 "2016-03-24T12:42:08Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Sometimes these things work out well. > > I was searching for unread humor by [Christopher Moore](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Moore_(author)). I was getting discouraged. It seemed I read his work faster than he produced it. > > Then I saw a title I _hadn’t_ read. Yeah!! I bought it and immediately realized I’d fucked up. I had purchased the work of [Christopher **G.** Moore](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_G._Moore), a Canadian ex-pat living and writing in Thailand. > > But I read the book anyway. Then I read his other 24 works of fiction. Along the way he responded to a review I wrote, leading to a few back and forth emails. > > Ranking authors I’ve read to date I would put Christopher G. Moore way abover Christopher Moore. Glad yours worked out for you but let me tell ya, Stephen King is no Christopher G. Moore. ---
**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:** [March 24, 2016, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/33 "2016-03-24T13:29:43Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > I’m pretty sure this is wrong as you’ve stated it: “Apple” is trademarkable, but trademarks are only valid within a specific field of endeavor … Ignoring non-relevant stuff like logos, etc., the USPTO phrase is “goods and services” rather than “field of endeavor”. Assuming Stephen King isn’t providing a service of some sort, that leaves goods. So, a trademark would be for Stephen King \, where \ would be an item or category of items. Speaking of logos, one of the confounding issues in Apple vs. Apple was both used an apple logo. (Ah, remember the cut apple logo on the label of Apple records?) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/34 "2016-03-24T13:47:06Z")
> [@Wilson00](#): > > If the names can’t be copyrighted, then new authors like this new Stephen King have a good start 😃 I hope you’ll check out my own new e-book on Amazon, _The Two Gentlemen of Bakersfield_ by William Shakespeare. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/35 "2016-03-24T13:59:21Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Sometimes it’s a good thing. Jill Soubule wrote a song called _[I Kissed A Girl,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ5oX_lTN1w)_ and managed to make a decent living from [confused Katy Perry fans](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAp9BKosZXs). Although to be fair, Sobule was very forward-looking and managed to release her song [13 years before Katy Perry decided to release a song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Kissed_a_Girl_(Jill_Sobule_song)) along the same themes. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/36 "2016-03-24T14:18:25Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > Although to be fair, Sobule was very forward-looking and managed to release her song [13 years before Katy Perry decided to release a song](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Kissed_a_Girl_(Jill_Sobule_song)) along the same themes. I saw her in concert with John Doe of X, and she introduced her hit by thanking the confused Katy Perry fans. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/37 "2016-03-24T14:33:30Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > I saw her in concert with John Doe of X, and she introduced her hit by thanking the confused Katy Perry fans. Aha! I saw her sometime around 2010/2011… she said something about it before playing the song, but I didn’t know the background. I much more like her [“A Good Life”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6BE1GbDeKk), the only song I know of that has worked _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ into the lyrics… I should see if she’s playing around here anytime soon. It was good seeing her play. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/38 "2016-03-24T14:58:42Z")
> [@Lamia](#): > > It looks like this is a self-published eBook, so all the author had to do to get it published and get Amazon to carry it was pay whatever the required fee was. > > As **Superdude** pointed out, the Amazon page for this book actually does have a note indicating that it’s NOT by the bestselling author of _The Shining_, so it doesn’t seem fair to blame them for your confusion. I see that many of the reviews also explain that this book isn’t by the famous Stephen King. This sort of thing makes looking for books in the kindle store a chore. I have made it a policy to get the free sample before buying books to make sure I am not getting crap because I failed to read the small print to find out if the book is luring me in under not quite legally actionable false pretenses. To be fair the a big part of the need for this policy is because I purchased The Bourne Ultimatum without reading the first few pages. Man is that some crappy writing. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/39 "2016-03-24T15:00:03Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > I much more like her [“A Good Life”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6BE1GbDeKk), the only song I know of that has worked _The Day the Earth Stood Still_ into the lyrics… _[Michael Rennie was ill the day the earth stood still But he told us where we stand](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Fiction/Double_Feature)_ ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2016, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885/40 "2016-03-24T15:16:31Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Or maybe THIS Steve King? > > [Steve King - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_King) Cantaloupe-Legged Man just doesn’t carry the same aura of menace as Pennywise or Christine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-got-duped-by-stephen-kings-utterly-untalented-doppleganger/749885.md?page=3)