Store won't write Wayne Rooney on 3-year-old's Easter egg because of ‘copyright issues’

BURY, England, April 14 (UPI) -- A British mother who named her son after Wayne Rooney of Manchester United claims that a store in the Bury town center would only write her boy’s full name, Rooney Scholes, on an Easter egg because employees were nervous about violating copyright laws.

Jo-anne Scholes, 43, said staff at Thorntons wouldn’t write Wayne Rooney’s name on the egg because of “copyright issues.”

“It’s just pathetic that they wouldn’t let a child have his name on an Easter egg for fear of upsetting Wayne Rooney. I can’t imagine Wayne Rooney would care less,” Scholes told the Manchester Evening News. “It’s just nonsense anyway. Rooney is his name, does that mean he’s not allowed to have his name on anything because he shares it with a famous footballer?”

Despite the situation, Scholes is still a big fan of Rooney and doesn’t blame him for the store’s behavior.

“He’s been my favorite player for years just because of his style of play and the way he carries the team,” Scholes said. “I had a couple of nervy moments when it looked like Wayne might be off to Chelsea in the summer but thankfully he stayed where he belongs.”

According to the Manchester Evening News, U.K. law does not offer any copyright or trademark protection for people’s names.

[Manchester Evening News]