system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Let's say my name is Walter Disney, just like the famous one but no relation. And let's say I really like drawing cartoons. Can Disney Co. sue me if I start my own line of "Walter Disney Cartoons"?

Surely I'm allowed to have the name my parents have me, but could there actually be a limit to how I use it?
gpt
The Walt Disney Company owns a trademark to the name "Disney" and you're not allowed to use that name in business in the same category of one of the businesses they're in.

There's no rule against using your own name. What you can't do, essentially, is advertise or offer for sale any product that a reasonable person could confuse with a product from the Walt Disney Company.

Trademarks are awarded in categories. For sure you wouldn't be able to start a cartoon or animation company named Disney, but you *might* be able to start a company named Disney that made medical devices, or carpets - assuming Walt Disney's company doesn't have a trademark in one of those categories.

Disney probably has separate trademarks in lots of other categories, though - in the "clothing" category since they sell shirts, in the "food" category since they sell Disney-themed treats, and so on.

Getting a trademark is easy - first you use the name (i.e. you actually have to be in business first), then you pay a few hundred dollars to register it, then a year later if nobody objects, it's yours.