Licencing of Real World Products

Mithras

Banded Mongoose
I'm currently writing a Traveller book for Zozer Games that includes a few modern day vehicles. Does anyone know my position legally if I mention brand names, and how about statting something like a Land Rover out? I'm just not sure at all where the blurry line is ....
 
DON'T mention Brand Names. BUT, you can mention a fictional name that might, accidentally, almost, remind someone of a real world equivalent.

Brand Names have nasty things like copyright laws and you really don't want to mess with that. Of course, they would have to notice first...

A vehicle that is a Mid-Sized Sedan is fine, just don't call it a Ford Fusion...

That might seem a bit harsh, but if you are going to be a professional writer and make money on this, following the rules is a very easy way not to get yourself sued.
 
I thought it might be so, I heard XBoX games use alternate gun and car names to avoid paying copyright costs. Its certainly no big issue for me, best be cautious!
 
Land Mover.

I've incorporated Ryanastra and easyJump as major transport corporations in my vision of the Solomani sphere.
 
I will go generic and make up 3 or 4 different vehicles based on real world equivalents. It is modern day, but with a SF twist.
 
Mithras said:
I'm currently writing a Traveller book for Zozer Games that includes a few modern day vehicles. Does anyone know my position legally if I mention brand names, and how about statting something like a Land Rover out? I'm just not sure at all where the blurry line is ....
Actually you could contact the P.R. departments for the brands you'd like to include. You could ask for some goodies in return for product placement in your works.

ISTR when I was growing up there were some dreadful best sellers that were ever so keen on name-dropping luxury brands.
 
Ewan, its a Traveller game book aimed at children and teenagers. For several reasons, Traveller is a great ruleset for use with children. I've run an RPG Club at a primary school for 15 years now, and my most popular setting has been the current project. It can be played with adults, or children, or a mix.

Players are high school students who are invited to join a university time travel expedition to the Cretaceous. A permanent camp has been set up there, and researchers and scientists travel through the time wormhole to carry out dinosaur field work. Students are given their own tasks to conduct, they are on their own, with a limited set of resources. Missions might include trapping a chicken-sized oviraptor, weighing a triceratops, collecting T-Rex poo, collecting a pteranadon egg and so on.

There's plenty of danger too, but no guns.

It includes a very detailed chapter on roleplaying with children, from one-on-one to up to 16 children at one time. And is relevant for any period, genre, not just this particular game.

I've secured most of my art and the game is still being written. Release date is at the start of September :)

Ewan said:
Any hints on what it's about and when it will be available.

Thanks
 
It sounds like an interesting idea and I will certainly be buying.

Zozer Games have made some interesting products for Traveller, Attack Squadron: Roswell (my favourite and would still like a British squadron) and Orbital. If the new product is up to the same production quality it will certainly be impressive.
 
I've often used the term 'Rover' as a generic name for light 4x4 vehicles IMTU (and also in other sci-fi systems). With a bit of creativity you should be able to skirt around actual trademarks. However, IANAL, and neither, I guess are most folks here. You might want to get legal advice from an intellectual property specialist about what can or can't be done.
 
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