At what point is it ok to have the same name as another band?

so I've been trying to come up with a name for the solo stuff I've been writing and any time I come up with a cool name or something I like I do a little research and it turns out it's already taken.

It's getting really frustrating coming up with something both cool sounding and completely original.

So what's your guys opinion on the matter? Do I owe it to myself to be 100% original no matter what? Is it ok to have the same name as long as they are on a different continent or in a different country? Should I just not give a fuck as long as I truly came up with it on my own?

Let me know in the poll and with comments.

I voted

Been down this path before

i'd say be original.

not just because of originality, but also because of lawsuits or legal issues due to identical names.

Damn it! all the cool shit is already taken!  

The Adli Corporation wrote:i'd say be original.

not just because of originality, but also because of lawsuits or legal issues due to identical names.

Yeah I'm inclined towards originality just because that's the way I am...I don't think lawsuits would be an issue. I wouldn't be dumb enough to use some famous or well established band's name.

What is it?

HydrasBreath wrote:Yeah I'm inclined towards originality just because that's the way I am...I don't think lawsuits would be an issue. I wouldn't be dumb enough to use some famous or well established band's name.

its not even about huge bands. if you make it big, or the other band with the same name makes it big... theres gonna be a fight over who has the right to the name

its happened before with a few bands.

Seoul Train isn't taken, in case you wanted to make a motown-kpop fusion band

The Adli Corporation wrote:

HydrasBreath wrote:Yeah I'm inclined towards originality just because that's the way I am...I don't think lawsuits would be an issue. I wouldn't be dumb enough to use some famous or well established band's name.

its not even about huge bands. if you make it big, or the other band with the same name makes it big... theres gonna be a fight over who has the right to the name

its happened before with a few bands.

Well I highly doubt I'd ever make it anywhere near "making it big". The stuff I'm writing is in no way mainstream whatsoever.

Frostbyrn wrote:Have you considered

"Shut up Chandler"

As a band name

haha no but I'll keep it in mind  

it's okay if you hunt down the other band and kill them, taking the name (and their souls) for yourself.

Ante wrote:it's okay if you hunt down the other band and kill them, taking the name (and their souls) for yourself.

There can only be one!

Look around the room. Pick two random items and relate them somehow. Congratulations, you have written an 80's band's name.

Pariah wrote:Look around the room. Pick two random items and relate them somehow. Congratulations, you have written an 80's band's name.

Loose-leaf Hutch? am I doinitrite?

sounds like a winner to me.

HydrasBreath wrote:

Pariah wrote:Look around the room. Pick two random items and relate them somehow. Congratulations, you have written an 80's band's name.

Loose-leaf Hutch? am I doinitrite?

actually yes.

Unseen Battlefield
Heavenly Kangaroo
Peanuts of Oblivion

those are my contribution

you can have mine.

Taco Toddler-Chair.

Galaxy Aspire

five toe death kick

Empty Monster Ripper Can and the Xbox 360 Controllers for Windows...

not really feeling that one.

I say who really cares.

On one hand I can understand your dilemma, and if you can come up with something original, cool.

On the other, if you're really feeling the name, just fucking do it.

Funny thing, there are a band called Spliff before my band.

I think the issue is more whether or not they are known. A lot of people will post shit about their band or talk it up, but if you do some digging and cant find any music or rights to the name then its yours.
I'm in the same situation though, and it sucks. A lot.

Frostbyrn wrote:Is "Plagiarizing Fuck" the name you want to use?

Also who hasnt plagiarized a fuck

I bet none of us have ever payed royalty's or asked permission from the caveman who invented missionary

Wait wait wait... Missionary wasn't invented by Christian people as a way to bribe over barbarians to the light of God?!?

Frostbyrn wrote:Nah it merely gained that name during the middle ages since laying on your back and getting shafted pretty much summed up the churches tax policy

Best thing I've heard all day

BmmFlash wrote:I think the issue is more whether or not they are known. A lot of people will post shit about their band or talk it up, but if you do some digging and cant find any music or rights to the name then its yours.
I'm in the same situation though, and it sucks. A lot.

What do you play?

Do you have any samples?

Sym wrote:

BmmFlash wrote:I think the issue is more whether or not they are known. A lot of people will post shit about their band or talk it up, but if you do some digging and cant find any music or rights to the name then its yours.
I'm in the same situation though, and it sucks. A lot.

What do you play?

Do you have any samples?

I'm a drummer. And no, not yet I'm working on it though. I'm still trying to get everyone completely on board with it.
The end result would be an achordian/keyboard player, guitarist, and me on drumset. In a music scene like Milwaukee, we could get such amazing gigs.
And then I'm just going to find a metal band to jam with every so often  

Greg, Hydra and I are all musicians too, in case you didnt know. We all got samples too if your ever interested.

I play guitar

I vote never because I'm an asshole.

Also coming up with band names can be an extremely entertaining activity.

Chewy wrote:I vote never because I'm an asshole.

Also coming up with band names can be an extremely entertaining activity.

Almost as fun as coming up with Tumblr handles.
Unless you are not a teenage girl.... but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt  

Chewy wrote:I vote never because I'm an asshole.

Also coming up with band names can be an extremely entertaining activity.

I'd agree when you are multiple people bouncing ideas off of each other. You'll always get the oddball hilarious one like that.

But trying to come up with something all on your own can just be plain frustrating.

Coming with a band name is brutal

My old band took 3 years to settle

Eternal Divide was our name

Black Charger Tape
Textbook Gloves
Red Mouse Gum
Green Wash Phones

Sym wrote:Coming with a band name is brutal

My old band took 3 years to settle

Eternal Divide was our name

Yeah I read something cool the other day called "Call of the Void" but they appear to be a fairly established hardcore band. They aren't on Metal Archives though.

Other possibilities right now are Fractal Dimension or Nega Elemental...Fractal Dimension is a band in Turkey apparently...they aren't on MA either. Nega Elemental is Original as far as I can tell.

Sym wrote:Coming with a band name is brutal

My old band took 3 years to settle

Eternal Divide was our name

3 years, really?

I've never encountered this problem. My bands names, no matter who's coming up with them, are usually spontaneous.

I like those both Hydra

Yea we actually went through like 5 names before settling on Eternal Divide

We first were Cerburus, but then we realized how incredibly generic that was and changed it to Hydra. We kept that one for a year until getting sick of it. The other two we came to in between was Blown Fuse( not a fan of this one ever ) and Insidious Demise.

Indeed we did

We also told tales of Armageddon and people getting decapitated

The names of various bands I've done stuff with are Birth of Depravity, Devastation of Life, Remnants of Flesh, Comatose and Spliff.
Only the last two names are mine and both have been used by other bands in the past.

So much for originality.

Oedipus and the Motherfuckers
if not that, then Cthulu and the Arogonauts

just go here http://www.reddit.com/r/Bandnames/

I'm just trying to come up with something spacey sounding since the music I'm writing is pretty atmospheric and spacey/trippy.

Snuffleupagus Unchained

Hydra some day we are gonna write something

Sym wrote:Hydra some day we are gonna write something

Would definitely be cool.

My issue being a poor college student right now I have limited access to recording....

Sym wrote:My issue being a poor college student right now I have limited access to recording....

Step 1) Make friends with music majors
Step 2) Go drinking and come up with half assed plans to record some demo
Step 3) Gain access to the super secret underground recording studios
Step 4) ??????
Step 5) Profit.