If I Write a Book and Add Celebrities in the Ending for a Concert Can I Get Sued?

[Def2DefferMusic]

What is the name of your state? New Mexico, but some of the artisst are from the UK and U some are fromother countries.

Thanks for the Help!

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[Taxing Matters]

The celebrities could sue you; whether they might win however depends on facts we don't know. Is the book fiction? How much of role does this concert play in the book? What do the celebrities do in the book? If you intend to publish this book you'd want to ask an attorney who practices in intellectual property law to review it and tell you what risks you may run with it. If the book is to be published by a major publisher, that publisher will typically do that review for you.

 

[Def2DefferMusic]

Yes I'm going to publish the book and the celebrities are in the end of the book At a concert It shows a shot of power leave 3 to 5 of them Singing just briefly while it's cutting in-and-out between the crowd and the protagonist is doing ... yes it's a fiction based on a true Story...

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state? New Mexico, but some of the artisst are from the UK and U some are fromother countries.

... Yes I'm going to publish the book and the celebrities are in the end of the book At a concert It shows a shot of power leave 3 to 5 of them Singing just briefly while it's cutting in-and-out between the crowd and the protagonist is doing ... yes it's a fiction based on a true Story...

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You can generally use the real names of real people and real entities and real goods or services in your writings if you use them in a descriptive way.

In other words, you can say you went to a Drake or Arianna Grande concert and afterwards drove in your Jeep to McDonald's for a Big Mac.

What you cannot do is use the real names of celebrities (or entities or goods/services) to promote yourself or your writings. You cannot state or imply an affiliation with (endorsement or sponsorship by) the celebrity (entity, goods/services).

To do that infringes on publicity/personality/privacy rights (and trademark rights).

You also need to handle reputations with great care so you do not defame or tarnish the real people/things you write about.

You will want your manuscript personally reviewed by a publishing law professional prior to print (for the editing of potentially problematic areas) and you will want insurance enough to cover the costs of a lawsuit should one arise despite your best efforts to avoid one.

Good luck with your book

 

[Susie_B]

If is fiction why don't you create fictional names for those celebs? What if you write a book where you mention things in a negative way or advocate for a cause which a XYZ celeb is against it or in conflict with the endorsements and clients they are already working with? They can sue you too for the mention of their names on your book is a confirmation that they agree with you. Be careful or you could lose it all. BTW follow Quincy advice too. All the best with your book!

 

[quincy]

If is fiction why don't you create fictional names for those celebs? What if you write a book where you mention things in a negative way or advocate for a cause which a XYZ celeb is against it or in conflict with the endorsements and clients they are already working with? They can sue you too for the mention of their names on your book is a confirmation that they agree with you. Be careful or you could lose it all. BTW follow Quincy advice too. All the best with your book!

Using the names of real people and real places lends a sense of reality to the fictional tale being told. There is generally nothing wrong with this as long as the real people and places are incidental to the story (i.e., background) and not the story's driving force.

Using real places as settings for your story can also increase the risk of a lawsuit. If you set your story in small town Bark River, Michigan, those in Bark River will be looking carefully at the text to see if any of characters in the story resemble people they know.

Whenever you write about real people or real entities or real places, you increase your risk of attracting unwanted attorney-attention. That is why a manuscript review by a publishing law professional can be important, so problematic areas can be revised prior to publication.

Disclaimers are often added for an additional layer of protection although disclaimers cannot prevent lawsuits. A typical disclaimer reads something like "This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the imagination of the author and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental."