All Questions
19 questions
0
votes
1
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81
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Trademarked Name Use in Novel
Can I have a character's name be the same as the one in a popular children's book?
For example, the kids in a neighborhood think an old man is hiding something. This has been going on for years and ...
0
votes
1
answer
99
views
Can I use a song lyric as the title of my theatre production?
I'm starting a theatre company and one of the ideas I have thought of for a production is an ongoing series of monologue/scratch evenings. I want to have the premise of each night to latch onto the ...
- 1
1
vote
2
answers
615
views
How can I know if my character name is already taken? If it is, can I use the same name?
I am creating an action/adventure comic strip in the vein of Indiana Jones. Currently the character’s name is Panda Jack. The strip will have a title like “Panda Jack and the… fill-in-the-blank”. I am ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
1k
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Will using "Jeep" as a character name cause copyright issues?
As the title says I have a character named "Jeep" and I would like to know if it will cause any copyright problems for me or not.
(P.S: By the way, it's for a script for a game.)
- 177
1
vote
1
answer
382
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Character name trademarks and copyrights [duplicate]
I've had some characters for a while for a comic I'm wanting to write, and until now I never thought about name copyright and trademarks. After looking it up, quite a few of my characters have the ...
- 11
2
votes
3
answers
134
views
When is it better to use a real life versus a generic fast food company name when talking about a regional chain?
So, I know that questions regarding the usage of real-life company names has been brought up before, but this is a really weird example that I've run into that doesn't seem covered by the previous ...
- 4,664
0
votes
2
answers
213
views
My Middle Name Is Amara And I Want To Add It To My Book [duplicate]
I'm writing a series that has to do with vampires. My middle name is Amara, and I personally find that name really, really pretty. I wanted to add it to my book as the name of the main character but I ...
- 21
14
votes
3
answers
7k
views
I gave my characters names that are exactly like another book. Is it a problem?
Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. The names I picked are fairly common and ...
- 141
18
votes
4
answers
5k
views
Would it be a copyright violation if I made a character’s full name refer to a song?
I want to write a realistic fiction book similar to Thomas Hardy’s works, where he used techniques and Biblical references (they were also called allusions) to make his writing more meaningful, and to ...
- 1,337
6
votes
3
answers
639
views
Is it ok if some of my city names are the same as the ones in other books/series/video games/ pieces of work?
My book has a few place names that are also present in other pieces of media, for example, one of my cities is called "Manalin" and I just found out that there is a planet in Star Wars also called ...
- 61
2
votes
4
answers
956
views
Is using an online name generator a good idea?
When I'm stumped for a planet name or an organization name or something, I usually search on Google for a free name generator. But are the names in random generators copyrighted? If I used a ...
user34214
6
votes
3
answers
748
views
Names already used
I have named my fish and dolphin characters in my short story. It transpires that these names are already in use in other stories, for example 'Cornelius Cod'.
Would I have to change my characters ...
4
votes
8
answers
6k
views
Can my character's name match someone in real life?
Is it legally OK that my character's name by coincidence matches someone's in real life, famous or not? (For example I am naming a character Aaron Hale.) The character's appearance and everything else ...
- 43
1
vote
2
answers
326
views
At what point is one stealing from Lovecraftian fiction?
To provide an example of my question, consider how certain beings are carried over to different authors. Hastur was made by Ambrose Bierce, and referenced by Lovecraft, and used by August Derleth. In ...
6
votes
4
answers
16k
views
Help! I accidentally gave my fictional character the same name as a fictional character on a TV show. Do I have to change it?
I've been writing a YA mystery book in which one of the three main characters is a detective—who now seems to share his name with another fictional character on TV.
I was pretty young when I came up ...
1
vote
3
answers
252
views
I want to name a character something but j feel like people would say I'm copying Veronica Roth, my favorite author. What should I do?
I have a problem.
I want to name a character (the main character's romantic interest) Tobias, but I feel like people would associate him with Tobias Eaton from Divergent, knowing how much I love that ...
- 19
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What are the copyright limitations for adopting a fictional character's name as your Pen Name?
I wanted to use 'Dumbledore' as a part of my pen name. But I was told that by doing so I might, I just might subject myself to suing by J.K. Rowling (if she intends to).
Is that true? Can't I use ...
- 131
11
votes
4
answers
7k
views
On copyright laws and plots
I was pondering a lot on the issue with copyrights on plots. Is having an identical plot infringing someone else's copyrighted work?
I am fully aware that the character names are copyrighted and ...
- 323
23
votes
2
answers
23k
views
Are Names of Characters Copyrighted by Authors?
Are names of characters copyrighted by authors? For example, the character "Eragon" from the Inheritance Cycle series, or a name that you've generated using an online name generator that you'd like to ...
- 3,425