Carey battles porn star over name

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/6165313.stm

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Singer Mariah Carey has threatened legal action against porn star Mary Carey to stop her trademarking her similar-sounding stage name.

The singer believes fans could get the two performers confused if Mary Carey's trademark application is successful.

However, the adult film actress, whose real name is Mary Cook, has said she will not be intimidated by the singer.

"I'm ready to battle Mariah over this because I've been Mary Carey for a long time," she told Reuters.

"It's kind of funny because I'm a porn star and I've been being myself for a long time. I think she's being silly."

The actress started using the stage name Mary Carey in 2002 and ran for California governor against Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Grammy-winning Mariah Carey is particularly concerned by the possible confusion in the names because the actress wants to trademark the name for audio and video recordings.

But David Beitchman, a lawyer for Mary Carey, said he believed Mariah Carey stood little chance of winning a court battle over the names.

"My first thought was, does Mariah Carey realise what her lawyer is comparing her to and are they seriously concerned?" he said.

"Do they seriously think the fans are going to be confused?"