Can your character have the same name as another?

For characters, the answer is often yes, but with more exceptions. If you name your character the same as a famous fictional character, readers (and perhaps a judge) might think you’re attempting to cash in on the character name by creating confusion in the reader’s mind.

Are names copyrighted?

Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks.

Is it illegal to write about a real person?

First, a simple rule. If what you write about a person is positive or even neutral, then you don’t have defamation or privacy issues. For instance, you may thank someone by name in your acknowledgements without their permission. If you are writing a non-fiction book, you may mention real people and real events.

Are Harry Potter names copyrighted?

Everything Harry Potter is well protected with multiple trademarks that are owned by Warner Brothers Entertainment. Everything from the names of the books and movies, to house names, and the term ‘Muggle’ are trademarked.

How do I get rights to a name?

Registering a trademark for a company name is pretty straightforward. Many businesses can file an application online in less than 90 minutes, without a lawyer’s help. The simplest way to register is on the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Web site, www.uspto.gov.

Are there real people with the same name as your character?

Unless you use a completely made up name, there will be be real people with the same name as your character. Now most of these real people with the same name will be rather different from each other. Your job is to make your character a different from each of these real people as any of them are from one another.

What would literature be like if no character had a name?

Literature would be full of some truly strange and wonderful names if no character could have a name borne by any real person. One of my favorite mystery writers kills off people who annoy her. Annoy her enough and you will end up the character who dies. Some have even auctioned off that right to be named after a character who dies.

Do You Name your characters deliberately?

When you a writing a story everyone would expect you to name your characters deliberately and expect no coincidences.

Is Jack a good name for a main protagonist?

I bet there is hundreds of main protagonists called Jack in the world of fiction. Just be careful if you’re going around naming your characters something along to lines of Aragorn or Jon Snow. If you name your characters a normal name (from any culture), its fine.