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How do I check whether my movie name is available?

Internet Filmmakers' FAQ

It isn't possible to copyright a movie name, so from a legal perspective there is no need to check whether it's available or not. In most instances you can call your movie whatever you want, regardless of how many other movies have the same title.

The only area where this might be murky is in the instance where your title is or contains a registered trademark. If you suspect this is the case, then you will either need to find another title, or consult a lawyer to get a better understanding of your position (just because it is a registered trademark doesn't necessarily mean you can't use it, but you should get professional advice to be sure).

In saying all of this, it may still be worth checking which other movies have the same or similar titles to your own, particularly those which have been made recently. If your film is about to enter distribution the last thing you want is for another film with the same title to also be out in the marketplace causing confusion in minds of the audience.

Probably the easiest and best place to check is the Internet Movie Database.

Answer by Benjamin Craig  |  Last updated 13-Dec-2007

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