Comment by Corrado
1 day ago
I think Steven Colbert hosted a show using himself as the host. I’m not sure about the tax implications though.
1 day ago
I think Steven Colbert hosted a show using himself as the host. I’m not sure about the tax implications though.
And then when he tried using the "Steven Colbert" character on a different show, Comedy Central threatened him because Steven Colbert does not have rights to the "Steven Colbert" character.
Al Shugart started Shugart Associates and pretty much created the 5 1/4" floppy market. He sold to Xerox. He later started Shugart Technology and was promptly threatened with a lawsuit because he literally had sold his rights to his own name (in the particular context). He changed the name to Seagate Technology and the rest is history.
Yes, you can be enjoined from using your own name.
> Yes, you can be enjoined from using your own name.
This is not that case.
In popular media when "The Colbert Report" was broadcast, Steven Colbert was very open about the fact that he was playing a character on TV who happened to have the same name as him.
In the case of "The Tonight Show featuring Steven Colbert," he is not playing the character from the Colbert Report.
The very specific bit was from after the 2017 election when Trump was elected. Steven Colbert did a bit, in character as "Steven Colbert", with props from "The Colbert Report", and a guest appearance from Jon Stewart. (Because the main focus of "The Colbert Report" was to mock conservatives.) Otherwise, everything Steven Colbert (the person) does on "The Tonight Show featuring Steven Colbert" does not involve the "Steven Colbert" character from "The Colbert Report."
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That doesn’t seem like that should be possible. He sold his identity for life? Hollywood really does ask for your soul huh.
It would make sense why he’s never even jokingly gone back into that character on his new show.
And others can take your identity. If you happen to have the name Michael Jordan try putting out your own running shoes under your name.
It's not his identity, though. It's a character that he plays.
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I'm pretty sure that was Chuck Noblet pretending to be Steven Colbert.
If there were any tax implications, they were incidental. The show was parody, so the opinions he espoused in character were necessarily ones he didn't actually hold.