Hi I am not sure how I stand using Professor Christian Barnard as a character. I have changed his name but made it obvious as the name is so close. He does t he job he did in real life but is it ok to use his name or do I need permission? Many thanks in advance as I know I will get the correct advice.
Regards Paul G
Thank you for your reply. He does behave and he does what he is supposed to do, it's just how he learns how to restart a heart, I have an extra dimensional use a boy who has just died on the operating table to use his out of body experience to rely the info. I'm about to send the M S to an editor so I need my legal bits in place.
Again thanks, I think then I am safe. Regards Paul G
I read a book recently, part of which was based on the life of the man who designed the famous circle of townhouses in Bath. At the end the author wrote a note explaining it and who he was, plus her reasons for doing so.
I think if you base a character on somebody real and it's obvious who they are meant to be you can't then have them doing awful things or you could potentially get done for defamation. But if you use a real character and have them acting as they would be expected to, it's acceptable. For example, there are lots of historical novels about real people. However, I'd love to hear if anyone else has a different experience.