# Movie titles - how are they protected?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 10, 2013, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966 "2013-12-10T10:30:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966/41 "2013-12-13T21:04:22Z")

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When John Carpenter decided to make a movie called Halloween, he was astonished to find nobody had used that title before him.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966/42 "2013-12-14T01:46:31Z")

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> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Bill Cosby put out a movie titled _Leonard Part 6_. Nobody thought it was funny.

That’s because he hadn’t carefully built up audience anticipation with _Leonards_ 1-5.

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966/43 "2013-12-14T02:43:31Z")

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> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#):
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> That’s because he hadn’t carefully built up audience anticipation with _Leonards_ 1-5.

You’re right. People thought Die Hard 6 was pretty funny.

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**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966/44 "2013-12-14T03:05:38Z")

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> [@SpeedwayRyan](#):
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> Releasing an album called “Vol. 1” and one called “Vol. 3” and imagining your fans running around to record shops trying to find “Vol. 2” was (most likely) funny to George Harrison…I personally get a chuckle out of it. It’s not hilarious joke funny, but it’s funny. Maybe I’m weird. 🙂

I read a story (possibly apocryphal) that the movie _The Madness of King George_ was originally going to be titled _The Madness of King George III_, but they retitled it after realising American audiences wouldn’t want to go and see the film because they hadn’t see the first two. :smack:

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**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2013, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-titles-how-are-they-protected/675966/45 "2013-12-14T04:19:33Z")

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> [@Martini\_Enfield](#):
>
> I read a story (possibly apocryphal) that the movie _The Madness of King George_ was originally going to be titled _The Madness of King George III_, but they retitled it after realising American audiences wouldn’t want to go and see the film because they hadn’t see the first two. :smack:

Snopes says “False” but…possibly, kind of, sort of.

> **[Was 'The Madness of George III' Retitled for U.S. Audiences?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-madness-of-king-george/)**
>
> Was the title of the film 'The Madness of George III' changed because American audiences might have thought it was a sequel?

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