sequels/fan fiction

[the Robot Vegetable]

On Thu, 14 Aug 1997, Bruce Appelbaum wrote:

>      It's interesting that this appears on the Wired website.  Wired and 
>      Walter Jon Williams are currently in a battle over the rights to the 
>      name HotWired.  WJW wrote an SF novel of that name many years before 
>      Wired/Hotwired existed.  WJW retained rights to the name by refusing 
>      to allow the movie Johnny Mnemonic to be called Hardwired.  A computer 
>      game of the Hardwired novel is being put together.

	I have a copy here at my side.  It is _Hardwired_.  I thought
you couldn't copyright titles.  Did he procure trademark status?  That
would seem to be difficult with widespread trade of the mark.  The
mark is not effective if you recall the title as _Hotwired_.  I am
confused; what exactly if the action he is taking against Wired?

	veg