Okay so I am writing a movie that is somewhat based on the main characters upbringing in a religious lifestyle. My question is, how do I find out if I can use a specific church name/religion in my movie and what "permission" if any would have to get etc. The movie is not going to provide false information or be negative towards the religions it is all fact. So I am asking as to not be sued more then anything else.
Screenwriting : Copywriting, Licensing not sure where to put this question by Laura LaMonaco
Copywriting, Licensing not sure where to put this question
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We can't tell from the way the question is phrased. It's unclear what you mean by "a specific church name/religion." Here's an example. The following is a line from Wikipedia on THE SOUND OF MUSIC: "Maria is a free-spirited young Austrian woman studying to become a nun at Nonnberg Abbey in Salzburg in 1938." That's a specific church and religion. In this case, the studio needs no permission from a church or Catholic order.
I wouldn't think you would need it to make the movie but if you are just writing a spec screenplay it's the producer who is the one that is responsible for getting clearance not the screenwriter.
Ah, Dan is right. I misinterpreted the question. If the question is about being sued, it's likely that you as the writer will not be exposed. Even if there are grounds for a complaint (e.g. someone claims slander, someone gets hurt on set, someone sues for bad accounting practices, etc.), the writer is typically not exposed. The Financier and Producer are far more exposed.
Thank you. To be more clear, yes say Main Character was raised "luther" and attended the "Luthern Church of Saints in Somewhere USA" Much like the example above referring to the sound of music. Do I need to get rights to using the church name in the movie? This is a feature not a spec.
Based on what you've shared, you don't need to get any "rights." However, there's no guarantee that any Production won't get sued. In the US, anyone can sue for anything. Frivolous complaints will hopefully be dismissed by a judge. You could have a hot dog in a scene, and a hot dog vendor could sue the Production for defaming hot dogs; but that frivolous suit will hopefully be dismissed. Sadly, no one can guarantee that you won't be sued for just walking down the street every day.
And here's some info on clearances. http://www.filmindependent.org/resources/find-answers-about-film-clearan...
@ Laura. You can check online for free to see if they filed for a trademark. I doubt they have a trademark and if they don't you can use the name.