Someone is taking my name!!!

I'm frustrated! I found a new photographer in the area who is taking my name! I guess not literally but she is copying part of my branding. Around here people are beginning to know me as "Snaps photography" even though I'm "Snaps by Poteat." It's frustrating because I've worked so hard to build up my name, business & branding, it's starting to take off & I'm getting the results I want, and now some wanna be comes along and takes my "Snaps" name!
She's calling herself "Snaps by Chelsie." I'm not at all theatened by her work- the quality is nowhere near mine, it's just frustrating because it's MY name!!!!! and she lives in the same county & the next city over!

If I have my DBA & copyright under "Snaps by Poteat," Can I take any legal action to get her to change her name? I was thinking about doing research to see if she really has a business license, what her business name is under & maybe going to the mayor about this?

Suggestions?

Unless you were successful in obtaining a trademark for the term "Snaps" or some derivative, I doubt you have much of a case against the other person.

Snaps whatever is fairly common name for a photographic business in the English speaking world..

Welcome to the photographers world.

Wanna Be's can be APITA sometimes, but nowadays it's common place.

You can start in high school, photographing the world around you, from there to business and arts, onto being a gopher for a photographer. Step from that into building a healthy business, the the wannabes show up.

Oh well one must strive to produce better and hope it all comes out well in the end.

I would never work with either person. Snaps sounds like snapshot, which in turn doesn't sound professional.

come up with a new name if you are a true pro.

You would have to prove that her name is confused with your name and that you have a legitimate brandname to begin with. That somehow people thought they were buying from you and were not. You can typically get a free consultation with a lawyer to see if you have a case.

I think it is legitimate competition, call it wannabee or not. If she's not serious she'll drop out soon enough. If she gets better or catches up with you then you have impetus to be better - competition, good for everyone.

No. I can list off about 30 people in my local area called 'Snaps by etc.' or 'Snaps Photo etc.'. It's right up there with 'Click', 'Shoot' and all the other onomatopoeiaic words which photographers with little imagination (and dare I say, generally, matching skill level) throw in front of their name in the hopes of sounding 'professional.

In short, change your name. Get a new branding that doesn't sound like a 15 year old came up with it, and move on as a professional in your business. Let the new-comer have the name, trust me, in the long run it'll end up doing you more harm than good i'd say.

Re-brand over time to what people have come to know you as.

Ignore what all competitors do unless they cause you money damage.

And, don't forget, it is a small world, people google themselves, and this thread will show up.

I wouldn't get too worked up about this. The chances of being able to register the name "Snaps" is pretty slim and I would agree that it sounds a little amateurish. I would work towards a new brand, imo.

Your website is so much better than theirs, the customer will see for themselves who is the right choice for them. I can't stand those that want to put up a website and then for their portfolio you get a bunch of pet pictures. It shows that they have yet to secure much in the way of business so why create an issue out of next to nothing.

Someone could actually say the same about you. A brief search shows there's a "Snaps by" in just about every state. I doubt you were the first. And I agree with the others about the term "snaps." Let her have it.

Good, let her take it - snaps does come off as snapshots, i.e. anyone can do it, i.e. not the branding you want. That of course goes along with the fact that every town in the US seems to have at least one person calling themselves that already. I started under a different name before going to my name and re-branding a bit, not difficult if you're still starting out and not that well known.

TopHatMoments wrote in post #12049270
Welcome to the photographers world.

Wanna Be's can be APITA sometimes, but nowadays it's common place.

You can start in high school, photographing the world around you, from there to business and arts, onto being a gopher for a photographer. Step from that into building a healthy business, the the wannabes show up.

Oh well one must strive to produce better and hope it all comes out well in the end.

And what exactly were you in high school, then progressed to a photo gopher etc... Were you not a wannabe trying to step on an established photogs toes? I guess what goes around comes around. How soon we forget from where we emerged.

Actualy I learned as a kid from my grandfather ( whom stuck a camera in my hands about the same time I started grade school ), who thought it was a right of passage to be a gopher.
Sadly gofering for someone who has less talent than the gopher, showed my grampa his one admitted error in judgment.

I didn't take it serious until high school and didn't start counting years at it, until I started on my own.

Sounds more like it stung your still trying toes, a might more than you thought you stung me.

My statement was simple and un/accusing!

You can go way back on all my posts, you will never find me boohooing over, those who try to work there way in. There work makes mine look really, really good!

Hogloff wrote in post #12052563
And what exactly were you in high school, then progressed to a photo gopher etc... Were you not a wannabe trying to step on an established photogs toes? I guess what goes around comes around. How soon we forget from where we emerged.

So, to become established you have to go step on established photographers toes?

MJPhotos24 wrote in post #12052767
So, to become established you have to go step on established photographers toes?

Really don't know or care. Was just quoting tophatmomments where he said wannabes can be a pita at times.

Just wanted to note...everyone here was a wannabe at one time in their career.