I've been to every search engine I can think of but couldn't find a good answer to the question I'm trying to pose so I thought I'd seek some legal advice here.
I work as a photographer and I was recently asked to do some work that is simply non-standard. Like people in many public professions, I'd like to protect my identity to keep from getting spam, hate mail, or knocks on my front door.
I've seen information on how to file a copyright using a pseudonym but what I really need is some for of valid identity card that references me by the pseudonym.
It's a touchy subject because I'm not some kid looking to create a fake ID card. I fully intend to publish works and pay taxes but I need the ability to walk into an office building and say my name is ... Axel Rose ... without having to somehow file for an official name change with the governement. It's simply not possible to explain to security guards that my dirvers license reads X while my pseudonym is y.
Perhaps the easier way to ask the question is to say how do actors and actresses get stage names on credit cards or other forms of photo identity so that they can protect their true identities?
Thanks.
Sorry for the delay
First off, I am sorry for the delay in answering this question as I was in the United Kingdom until yesterday. I have just now gotten back into answering all of the emails and forums posts that I have.
To answer your question though, I don't need any special identification or information to call yourself another name. There is no approval process. I used a psuedonym for many years, including in many public places, and never had any issue.
That being said, I've never had any credit cards or other items issued in that name and, asking around and looking up information, I've seen no means to legally do o without first completing a legal name change. Though you could get a special agreement with the credit card companies to put a different name on the card, it is unlikely that you'd be able to get any official government cards with the new name unless you first completed a legal name change.
Since you know how to register a pseudonymous work, I will not go into that, but suffice to say that that process does not require any identification whatsoever, much less a card with the new name.
My advice is pretty simple, if you have a non-official public-facing card, such as a credit card, talk with the company and see what they require or can do. As for driver's licenses and so forth, there may not be much that you can do.
The truth is that nearly all pseudonyms get found out. Something this site shows clearly: http://www.famousfolk.com/
Don't rely on a pseudonym for complete identity protection, it sadly never will be...
Jonathan Bailey - plagiarismtoday.com
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