Having taken the legal steps, she contacted Revolver #2 to let her know her names are trademarked, asking if she could choose a unique identity. "She was a total sweetheart about it, but the fact that this happened twice in one year makes me believe that it will keep happening, not just to me," she explained, "which sucks for both the person who has to say, 'Hey, you're using my identity' and the person who didn't check hard enough and suddenly has to change all of her stuff."

Are there other communities that may have previously dealt with a similar issue that have come up with a system to help address it? Actually, there are. In the beautiful bastion of burlesque, as well as in the rough and raucous world of roller derby, both keep a database of in-use names. While the database doesn't provide legal protection, it certainly is a good resource, giving a newcome one place to go to look to see if the name they'd like to use is already taken.

As Revolva told Hooping.org, "It's hard to just google a name because it's like trying to see if there's already a particular type of minnow in the ocean. What if you're one letter off in your spelling? You know - trying to look for "The Whirly Girls" for example, not realizing there's already The WhirlyGirlz." It's a definite problem and it's one that is happening more frequently as our community continues to grow too. I know that I have gotten Hooping Powers and Hooper Power mixed up on more than one occasion and I actively stay on top of these things.

The burlesque yahoo group list proved to be a good place to start, so Revolva started up a yahoo list for Hooping Names as well. She also asked if we could start a Hoop Names Directory here at Hooping.org as a public service.

The Hooping Names Directory is now open to help eliminate such problems in the future. The format is similiar to our Hoop Group Directory. Simply leave your information in the comment section and the list will be periodically organized and alphabetized for easy viewing. We hope this will help everyone avoid similar situations in the future and we thank you all for your participation in helping to build a community where everyone can grow and prosper.