Sorry, but I do feel the need to clear this up: as steamboatpete said, a trademark gives you very specific rights. It prevents another person from attempting to confuse your customers by providing the same goods and services as you under the same name. It simply isn't applicable here. Where there is no potential for confusion, there is no trademark infringement.
Even if the trademark for 'Yavin' could be extended to prevent the use of the name 'Yavn' as an individual's pseudonym (which is doubtful to say the least), the point is moot because there is not current trademark on the name. There was at one point (it was held by 20th Century Fox, not Lucas), but it was canceled in 1986. It covered toys, specifically and exclusively: "Play set showing environment of aspects of plant life, containing toy figures, buildings, vehicles, etc." If the trademark were still active, and if VMK were to attempt to release a 'Planet Yavn' playset, then the trademark holders might have a case. Otherwise, under current trademark law, there's no problem.
Lucas (or rather, Lucasfilms, Ltd) does, however, own at least one current, live trademark on the name 'Skywalker', as well as a few for Shmi, Anakin, and Luke Skywalker, the Skywalker Ranch, and Skywalker Sound.
At any rate, like I said, if it was company policy to pass avatars around, or if Yavn's avatar was a role account rather than his personal one, he wouldn't have all but disappeared for so long; his successor would have just taken over. If VMK was in the habit of allowing different people to operate the same avatars, no staff members would ever disappear - instead of all this concern and hoopla over Hula's reduced hours, they would have handed her avatar over to someone else to run a few games a week. And, as I said before, Yavn is someone who VMK is very interested in doing business with. He's a big deal in gaming, and they're not going to do anything that's going to upset him. And, given that VMK is very much his baby - anyone who read his blog before most of it was removed knows how he felt about the game - and that he's still in the Disney 'family', I think it's more than likely that he's still involved on some level and has been around at least once or twice since the summer to touch base or consult.
Even if the trademark for 'Yavin' could be extended to prevent the use of the name 'Yavn' as an individual's pseudonym (which is doubtful to say the least), the point is moot because there is not current trademark on the name. There was at one point (it was held by 20th Century Fox, not Lucas), but it was canceled in 1986. It covered toys, specifically and exclusively: "Play set showing environment of aspects of plant life, containing toy figures, buildings, vehicles, etc." If the trademark were still active, and if VMK were to attempt to release a 'Planet Yavn' playset, then the trademark holders might have a case. Otherwise, under current trademark law, there's no problem.
Lucas (or rather, Lucasfilms, Ltd) does, however, own at least one current, live trademark on the name 'Skywalker', as well as a few for Shmi, Anakin, and Luke Skywalker, the Skywalker Ranch, and Skywalker Sound.
At any rate, like I said, if it was company policy to pass avatars around, or if Yavn's avatar was a role account rather than his personal one, he wouldn't have all but disappeared for so long; his successor would have just taken over. If VMK was in the habit of allowing different people to operate the same avatars, no staff members would ever disappear - instead of all this concern and hoopla over Hula's reduced hours, they would have handed her avatar over to someone else to run a few games a week. And, as I said before, Yavn is someone who VMK is very interested in doing business with. He's a big deal in gaming, and they're not going to do anything that's going to upset him. And, given that VMK is very much his baby - anyone who read his blog before most of it was removed knows how he felt about the game - and that he's still in the Disney 'family', I think it's more than likely that he's still involved on some level and has been around at least once or twice since the summer to touch base or consult.
)
