Mark Rand Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 In all campaign and city book I've seen, all the company names are made up. Since I might use my home town as the campaign city, is it okay to use real company names in the campaign? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psybolt Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Of course. You can use anything you want in your campaigns. I have used real people in campaigns. I had made David Hasselhoff into a major villain. I had PC's solve the OJ Simpson case, by way of solving the murder of OJ himself. Now, of course, publishing that is different, but in your campaign world... who's going to tell you no? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? In all campaign and city book I've seen' date=' all the company names are made up. Since I might use my home town as the campaign city, is it okay to use real company names in the campaign?[/quote']I'd use them as local color, but retain made-up names for companies the characters might interact with. A friend of mine used to work for a local cleaning supply company called BioDyne. The first time I saw it I wanted to use it as an Evil Corporation name in Champions. Now that they're out of business the name lives on as our campaign's version of Stane Enterprises. They're into everything high tech: genetic engineering; robotics, security, military hardware. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Are you publishing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Are you publishing? No, but some stuff might show up on these boards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? No' date=' but some stuff might show up on these boards.[/quote'] Ahh, a question for the Moderators then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? No' date=' but some stuff might show up on these boards.[/quote'] If you're not making money off it, I can't imagine it being an issue. Then again, I'm no lawyer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clonus Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Who is gonna stop you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerdnumber1 Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? As long as you're not publishing, its ok. Odds are, even if a company has a flimsy reason to sue you, the lawsuit would cost them more in lawyer fees than they'd get. Also, most major economic empires don't spend vast resources on persuing every mention they get on rpg forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? As long as you're not publishing' date=' its ok. Odds are, even if a company has a flimsy reason to sue you, the lawsuit would cost them more in lawyer fees than they'd get. Also, most major economic empires don't spend vast resources on persuing every mention they get on rpg forums.[/quote'] They don't sue over Trademark or Copyright violations for money - they sue to protect their interest. If they fail to do so their Copyright and/or Trademark can fall into public domain. However - the second part of your statement about them pursuing, or even finding, mention on an RPG forum is pretty close to 0. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Querysphinx Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Yes, you can use company names in you game. It's called fair use. They put the names out there, you just used them. So long as you are not defaming the company (i.e. accusing them of real-world misdeeds: fictional misdeeds are fine) or making money off their trademark, they really have no grounds to be interested. For all that these boards are public (i.e. on the internet) the distribution is so small that it doesn't violate their "territorial waters". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Thanks for the advice, friends. I wasn't sure. I'll probably use a combination of made-up companies, current real world companies, and defunct, but cool, real world ones. Beth's Coffee Shop will be replaced by its defunct, in real life, inspirations B/G and Palmer's, both great places. Zorba's, a Greek bar on Pittsburgh's South Side, will reappear in Oakland, near Pitt. Some of the cars around the superhero base will be Toyotas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedball Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? As long as you don't libel or defame the companies in question (without obvious satirical intent), there's no legal exposure. But, as others have mentioned, it's probably more interesting to create your own companies for the most part, largely because it gets rid of players' preconceptions about them. On the other hand, maybe that's what you're trying to exploit. Twisting things around a bit--making a seemingly 'nice' company into a world-eating beheamoth, for example, could be fun. Or turning Halliburton (depending on your socio-political perspective) into a bunch of girlscouts... That could be its own fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teammaxx Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? I have always played in made up cities or made worlds until last year I joined a campaign that was set in local area and time. It has made such a big difference in knowing exactly where stuff is and how point A to point B. Using local businesses and people has been a trip so have fun with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? You can always make "obvious" references to the real thing, which may be more fun. That's how, f'rex, Bill Amend (FoxTrot) gets away with constructions like Riviablo, GameBox 3, and Myface.com. The same technique is used on Law and Order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Rand Posted September 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? You can always make "obvious" references to the real thing' date=' which may be more fun. That's how, f'rex, Bill Amend (FoxTrot) gets away with constructions like Riviablo, GameBox 3, and Myface.com. The same technique is used on Law and Order.[/quote'] I occasionally do that, too. Danny's, the jazz club in the "Witch Way" thread, is based on Joe's from Highlander: the Series, without the Immortals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoloOfEarth Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? In my game, I use real-world company names for flavor and setting, but if it's a front company for VIPER or IHA or some other evil organization, I try and make something up, or at least take an existing company name and alter it, just in case. For instance, a local underworld kingpin has a "legitimate" string of check-cashing companies in the Chicagoland area. I called it SmartCheck (or $martCheck, as it shows on their signs), since a check-cashing company already exists called CheckSmart. Occasionally, you discover one of your players has some connection to a real-world company or individual that you never knew about. ("Those DEMON agents are ducking into Durham Tailoring? Hey, my uncle owns that!") I don't want to imply that his uncle is a Satan worshipper, so if I make it Delmont Tailoring, that takes care of it. I do like using real-world locations, because it can add a lot to the game. Google Maps' Satellite view is your friend here. It's one thing to say "the school is here, the parking in front, and the football field over there" and another to plop down a satellite picture showing all of that, plus lots of other detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTaylor Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Copyright laws exist to protect the work and earnings of the original artists and companies. If you are not in any way damaging the companies or their earnings, you are not in any legal trouble. If you try to sell a product without asking and getting permission from the originator, then you've got trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerdnumber1 Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Foxbat worked with Disney to make a cgi cartoon series. It places him as the invicible protagonist and the PCs as demon-like, but completely inferior, antagonists. How do you fight Disney!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost-angel Posted September 9, 2008 Report Share Posted September 9, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? How do you fight Disney!? Become a Southern Baptist. . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jim Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Well, first thing ya gotta do is thaw the old guy out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerdnumber1 Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? I mean the evil company, not the frozen, anti-semetic ex-head of the company. Though, the GM might make him the current leader, if he doesn't have a problem making Disney a real supervillian (Then I'd have a target for my brick-y rage ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaft Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? Here's a scary thought: McDisnisoft... Burgers. Cartoons. Software. And more... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? In published products real world company names are generally avoided for liability reasons. In your own game you can do whatever you want. I doubt the lawyers for whatever corporation you choose to use will come leaping unexpectedly from your pantry screaming "no one expects the litigious inquisition!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted September 10, 2008 Report Share Posted September 10, 2008 Re: Is it permissible to use real company names? I doubt the lawyers for whatever corporation you choose to use will come leaping unexpectedly from your pantry screaming "no one expects the litigious inquisition!" ...although that would be a cool setup for a scenario. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.