Use of names of companies, like Facebook and Starbucks in fiction.

by David J. Ashton
9th February 2015

Does anyone know the law surrounding the use of corporate names like Facebook, NatWest and Starbucks, for example, in a work of fiction? Are you allowed??

Replies

This makes good sense! Thank you Jeff and thank you for taking the time to answer. What is your book called?

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David
J. Ashton
270 points
Practical publishing
Fiction
Comic
David J. Ashton
10/02/2015

As long as you're not libelling (libeling..?) them, then it's okay. Saying "I sat in Starbucks with my partner for three hours and the caffeine buzz lasted me 8 hours" is fine, but they'd view this very dimly: "I drank a coffee in starbucks and ended up in hospital with food poisoning from the rat droppings I found in the bottom of my cup."

Ditto the others. judicious product placing can work very well! I must have mentioned Marmite at least six times in my novel... still no free samples, yet, though...

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Jeff
Richards
330 points
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Short stories
Fiction
Crime, Mystery, Thriller
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Autobiography, Biography and Memoir
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Speculative Fiction
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Jeff Richards
09/02/2015