Locations in your writing

[Hodmadod]

How do you adress writing about real places, in your work?

with major cities I can understand that they are mostly public domain, but what about locations like small towns.

do you try and get their permission to use them? or do you just write it with the assumption it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission.

Or for that matter is permission really needed if it established that it is a work of fiction?

just asking, cause during the research phase of my current project, I found a town that pretty much fit the bill as far as location goes...

Or do I make some place up....though I really rather prefer useing real places as they help give a more solid sense of reality to the work.

While I'm at it what about locations of employment?

Such as one of my characters is a professor at a community college,   can I use an actual institution? Do I have to ask permission? or is it easier to make something up cause the permission is so hard to obtain?


Any help would be most gratefully accepted

Writer in Limbo
Harte

[Josh]

I don't think geography or cities are under any sort of copyright. Stephen King created all sorts of Maine-mishmashes, including new river routes, highways and towns mingled among real places. If a city doesn't work for you in the exact layout it's in...change it. Or maybe think of a creative excuse for why it would be different in your story. Construction and remodelling happens all the time.

If you're making up a person at an institute, again, these kind of things don't have any laws against them. Look at Murphy being a cop in the official Chicago departments. Yes, they did have to change her name for the television show since there is someone by that name in real life, but that's just screwy t.v. business, methinks. And if it's going to cause any kind of mess, then change the name of the place and keep the layout. The world in your book is the world as you shape it to be.

[blgarver]

Yeah, I think locations are fair game.  How many authors use the Pentagon and White House in novels, and in movies, too. 

I was kind of wondering about this with certain business names and name brands.  For instance, in the Dresden Files, Wal-Mart and Coke...huge names.  Did Jim have to pay them a percentage to use their brands?  I've written things in which I've used certain vehicles - Honda Accord, for instance - and was never quite sure if it would cause a stink if it ever got published.

But as far as locations go, I think it's all public domain.  However, depending on the depiction of the city, there is possibility for a stink.  Take The Simpsons episode in which they put on a production of Streetcar, and one of the songs in the play defamed New Orleans.  Well, you'll notice in the very next episode, in the opening sequence, Bart is writing on the blackboard "I will not defame New Orleans." 

It never went to court or anything, but the city complained about it, and the show offered that opening as an apology.

[Josh]

Why would merchandising companies make someone pay to give them free advertising to a huge readership audience?

[blgarver]

Why would merchandising companies make someone pay to give them free advertising to a huge readership audience?

Yeah, good point.  However, being corporations fueled by money (and Satan) I just figured they would take their free inch and then ask for a mile.

[RMatthewWare]

Towns are fair game.  Have you ever entered a city and seen the sign:  "Welcome to Kansas City"?  There's no copyright or trademark symbol after it.  Institutions are usually fair, as are most brands.  As long as you don't say, "John drove a Hyundai, and everyone knows what flaming buckets of death they are."  Hyundai might take offense at that.  The same result if your main character finds a finger in his chili at Wendy's.  In those cases, either be generic (John's import) or make something up (Walter's Burger Emporium instead of Wendy's).  Trademarks can be sensitive, though the only people that really get anal is the NFL.  Your character can drink a Coke while eating a Johnsonville Brat, as long as he doesn't do it at the Superbowl.  The NFL is really picky on you paying them to use the Superbowl name.  How many commercials have you seen where they've had to say "NFL championship game" or something like that.  It's because the NFL won't let them use their trademark without payment.

Matt