The most egregious example of this took place at a convention that was honoring the fiftieth anniversary of his first publication. The convention sold TV shirts with the words “Fifty Short Years of Harlan Ellison,” which, if I remember correctly, annoyed him on three levels. First of all, he felt insulted by the use of the word “short,” which was a deliberate joke on his height. Secondly, the convention did not consult him beforehand; had they done so, he would have asked them not to do it. And thirdly, the convention had no plans to share any of the proceeds with him.

Harlan’s not the first one to do this sort of thing. Rock singers have trademarked their names as well. I remember once seeing an official program from a Billy Joel concert, with a trademark symbol after his name each time it appeared. In the back, there was a page catalog of official Billy Joel merchandise one could purchase, with a plea not to buy unlicensed stuff.

Trademarking one’s name is a step in fighting bootleg merchandise.