If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)

Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Hi there,
There is an issue with role permissions that is being worked on at the moment.
If you are having trouble with access or permissions on regional forums please post here to get access: https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058365403/you-do-not-have-permission-for-that#latest

Mentioning real people in fiction

Antilles · 2012-07-03 20:27:23

If I mention a real person (or reference their work) in something I write and publish as fiction, is there some legal requirement to receive their permission? For example, say I want a character to be a huge Isaac Asimov fan. He finds a planet full of androids and references the 3 laws of robotics. Is that okay?

03-07-2012 8:27pm

#1

Antilles

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭

Join Date: March 2007

Posts: 1102

If I mention a real person (or reference their work) in something I write and publish as fiction, is there some legal requirement to receive their permission?

For example, say I want a character to be a huge Isaac Asimov fan. He finds a planet full of androids and references the 3 laws of robotics. Is that okay?

0

Comments

#2 03-07-2012 9:02pm

alchemist33

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 10,969 ✭✭✭✭

Join Date: February 2011

Posts: 10874

I haven't legally tested this myself, but as long as you credit Asimov with the three laws (and don't claim credit yourself), you should be fine. I'm sure books get referenced in other books all the time.

0
#3 03-07-2012 11:02pm

EileenG

Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭

Join Date: July 2007

Posts: 5669

Of course it's fine, as long as whatever you saying about them is not libellous. You do not need permission to write about someone, or the newspapers would be empty.

It's virtually impossible to write a story without having a name that already belongs to a real person. You don't have to try to find a unique name by rolling your face on the keyboard.

0