Slander/Libel or Intellectual Property?

[legalwill333]

What is the name of your state? NY

If I create a fictional story - either in print or online - but I use the names of actual people as the characters in the story, do I have to worry about law suits? Specifically, I want to use famous celebrity names, and create a fictional "soap opera" about these characters. I plan on printing a disclaimer that it's fictional, and for entertainment. Does that help me?

And if I can't do the above, what if I create characters with made up names, but with descriptions that would let the reader make the logical jump to infer who that character represents in the real world?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? NY

If I create a fictional story - either in print or online - but I use the names of actual people as the characters in the story, do I have to worry about law suits? Specifically, I want to use famous celebrity names, and create a fictional "soap opera" about these characters. I plan on printing a disclaimer that it's fictional, and for entertainment. Does that help me?

And if I can't do the above, what if I create characters with made up names, but with descriptions that would let the reader make the logical jump to infer who that character represents in the real world?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer!

Nothing is going to keep you from getting sued.

 

[legalwill333]

Thanks for your answer. Would you be able to give me a litle more information on what, specifically, I'd be doing wring. Would it be considered slander or libel (I'm sorry, I don't know the difference between the two), or is it something else?

How are tabloids able to get away with printing lies as truth?