If you use someone's name in real life, and that person is based on a real life person, how do you obtain one of those contract or waver forms stating you can use that persons name without getting sued?
Posted by chalkdustfairy (Member # 9175) on :
Yes! I have a similar concern. I pulled out a story I wrote a few years ago, titled "Legistorm", the title referencing the codename for a secret operation (A legislature in the future comes up with a plan to overthrow the president of a fictional alliance/country). Now I find that LegiStorm is the name of a political watchdog group with a dot com and everything. Do I need to change the title of my story?
Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
My brother is a lawyer, let me know if you do not get an answer and I will ask him.
Posted by shimiqua (Member # 7760) on :
I think if your work is good enough, you can write about anyone and anything. And if it's not, it will just end up in a file somewhere anyway, so you can still write about whatever the heck you want.
I say write the story you want to write, submit it, and let the editors worry about being sued. Because if some big name person wants to sue me for all I got, they won't get much. ~Sheena
Posted by Osiris (Member # 9196) on :
Well, I agree with the sentiment, but if I write that So And So famous person had an affair with so and so and it wasn't true, thats grounds for a law suit.