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I gave my characters names that are exactly like another book. Is it a problem?
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I gave my characters names that are exactly like another book. Is it a problem?
Are Names of Characters Copyrighted by Authors?Italicizing and adding accents to Spanish words in an English novelHow political can an author's note be, would the following fly?Help! I accidentally gave my fictional character the same name as a fictional character on a TV show. Do I have to change it?How does the narrator address a character who has changed her name, but only some people call her this new name?Trademarked toys as an inspiration to a novel - should I contact the producer?Descriptive words to slow down the pace of the story?Is it better to avoid names with a difficult pronunciation in Middle Grade fiction?Accidentally named fictional characters after a famous personDialog problems with a character with only one name?
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Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. The names I picked are fairly common and used frequently in the real world. Is it a problem? Even though the books have absolutely nothing to do with each other? Do I have to change it for safety?
PS: The names are: Emma, Oliver and Jacob. Same names as in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
characters novel copyright naming
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
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add a comment |
Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. The names I picked are fairly common and used frequently in the real world. Is it a problem? Even though the books have absolutely nothing to do with each other? Do I have to change it for safety?
PS: The names are: Emma, Oliver and Jacob. Same names as in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
characters novel copyright naming
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago
add a comment |
Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. The names I picked are fairly common and used frequently in the real world. Is it a problem? Even though the books have absolutely nothing to do with each other? Do I have to change it for safety?
PS: The names are: Emma, Oliver and Jacob. Same names as in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
characters novel copyright naming
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Ok, so, I am currently writing a book and 3 of my characters have the same name as in another novel. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. The names I picked are fairly common and used frequently in the real world. Is it a problem? Even though the books have absolutely nothing to do with each other? Do I have to change it for safety?
PS: The names are: Emma, Oliver and Jacob. Same names as in Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
characters novel copyright naming
characters novel copyright naming
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
edited 8 hours ago
Galastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
asked 9 hours ago
WidePenWidePen
161 bronze badge
161 bronze badge
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
WidePen is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago
add a comment |
1
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago
1
1
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
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The answer to your question depends on how strongly the set of names is associated with the preexisting work of fiction. Not just the individual names, but the set of names together.
For example, individually Romeo and Juliet are common enough names, if you set your story in Italy. However, if you name the main characters in your story Juliet and Romeo, it would be read as a direct reference to Shakespeare's work. On the other hand, if I were to write a story about Robert and Maria, I very much doubt you'd think of For Whom the Bell Tolls. In fact, I would be very much surprised if there aren't countless other stories with the same names.
You are free to reference another literary work, that's called intertextuality. However, such references should be deliberate, not accidental. Names are one way, not the only one, and not a necessary one, for creating intertextual links.
As far as copyright goes, one cannot copyright common names. Or even sets of names. I'm not sure one can copyright names one has made up. (A character would be protected by copyright, but that would include additional attributes.) Consider, we are seeing quite a few girls named Khaleesi. In a few years, one might write a biography, or a fictional biography, or just a work of fiction, about a girl named Khaleesi, similar to how a character in Good Omens has been named by her hippie parents Pippin Galadriel Moonchild (a reference to The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story).
So, if you're asking about the legal aspect of things, there's no problem there, and that would be true regardless of what particular names you have chosen for your characters. If you're asking about other aspects of the issue, you should ask yourself how strongly the names are associated with the preexisting work. In your particular case, I do not believe there is a strong association. In other cases, the answer might be different.
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
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The answer to your question depends on how strongly the set of names is associated with the preexisting work of fiction. Not just the individual names, but the set of names together.
For example, individually Romeo and Juliet are common enough names, if you set your story in Italy. However, if you name the main characters in your story Juliet and Romeo, it would be read as a direct reference to Shakespeare's work. On the other hand, if I were to write a story about Robert and Maria, I very much doubt you'd think of For Whom the Bell Tolls. In fact, I would be very much surprised if there aren't countless other stories with the same names.
You are free to reference another literary work, that's called intertextuality. However, such references should be deliberate, not accidental. Names are one way, not the only one, and not a necessary one, for creating intertextual links.
As far as copyright goes, one cannot copyright common names. Or even sets of names. I'm not sure one can copyright names one has made up. (A character would be protected by copyright, but that would include additional attributes.) Consider, we are seeing quite a few girls named Khaleesi. In a few years, one might write a biography, or a fictional biography, or just a work of fiction, about a girl named Khaleesi, similar to how a character in Good Omens has been named by her hippie parents Pippin Galadriel Moonchild (a reference to The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story).
So, if you're asking about the legal aspect of things, there's no problem there, and that would be true regardless of what particular names you have chosen for your characters. If you're asking about other aspects of the issue, you should ask yourself how strongly the names are associated with the preexisting work. In your particular case, I do not believe there is a strong association. In other cases, the answer might be different.
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
add a comment |
The answer to your question depends on how strongly the set of names is associated with the preexisting work of fiction. Not just the individual names, but the set of names together.
For example, individually Romeo and Juliet are common enough names, if you set your story in Italy. However, if you name the main characters in your story Juliet and Romeo, it would be read as a direct reference to Shakespeare's work. On the other hand, if I were to write a story about Robert and Maria, I very much doubt you'd think of For Whom the Bell Tolls. In fact, I would be very much surprised if there aren't countless other stories with the same names.
You are free to reference another literary work, that's called intertextuality. However, such references should be deliberate, not accidental. Names are one way, not the only one, and not a necessary one, for creating intertextual links.
As far as copyright goes, one cannot copyright common names. Or even sets of names. I'm not sure one can copyright names one has made up. (A character would be protected by copyright, but that would include additional attributes.) Consider, we are seeing quite a few girls named Khaleesi. In a few years, one might write a biography, or a fictional biography, or just a work of fiction, about a girl named Khaleesi, similar to how a character in Good Omens has been named by her hippie parents Pippin Galadriel Moonchild (a reference to The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story).
So, if you're asking about the legal aspect of things, there's no problem there, and that would be true regardless of what particular names you have chosen for your characters. If you're asking about other aspects of the issue, you should ask yourself how strongly the names are associated with the preexisting work. In your particular case, I do not believe there is a strong association. In other cases, the answer might be different.
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
add a comment |
The answer to your question depends on how strongly the set of names is associated with the preexisting work of fiction. Not just the individual names, but the set of names together.
For example, individually Romeo and Juliet are common enough names, if you set your story in Italy. However, if you name the main characters in your story Juliet and Romeo, it would be read as a direct reference to Shakespeare's work. On the other hand, if I were to write a story about Robert and Maria, I very much doubt you'd think of For Whom the Bell Tolls. In fact, I would be very much surprised if there aren't countless other stories with the same names.
You are free to reference another literary work, that's called intertextuality. However, such references should be deliberate, not accidental. Names are one way, not the only one, and not a necessary one, for creating intertextual links.
As far as copyright goes, one cannot copyright common names. Or even sets of names. I'm not sure one can copyright names one has made up. (A character would be protected by copyright, but that would include additional attributes.) Consider, we are seeing quite a few girls named Khaleesi. In a few years, one might write a biography, or a fictional biography, or just a work of fiction, about a girl named Khaleesi, similar to how a character in Good Omens has been named by her hippie parents Pippin Galadriel Moonchild (a reference to The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story).
So, if you're asking about the legal aspect of things, there's no problem there, and that would be true regardless of what particular names you have chosen for your characters. If you're asking about other aspects of the issue, you should ask yourself how strongly the names are associated with the preexisting work. In your particular case, I do not believe there is a strong association. In other cases, the answer might be different.
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
The answer to your question depends on how strongly the set of names is associated with the preexisting work of fiction. Not just the individual names, but the set of names together.
For example, individually Romeo and Juliet are common enough names, if you set your story in Italy. However, if you name the main characters in your story Juliet and Romeo, it would be read as a direct reference to Shakespeare's work. On the other hand, if I were to write a story about Robert and Maria, I very much doubt you'd think of For Whom the Bell Tolls. In fact, I would be very much surprised if there aren't countless other stories with the same names.
You are free to reference another literary work, that's called intertextuality. However, such references should be deliberate, not accidental. Names are one way, not the only one, and not a necessary one, for creating intertextual links.
As far as copyright goes, one cannot copyright common names. Or even sets of names. I'm not sure one can copyright names one has made up. (A character would be protected by copyright, but that would include additional attributes.) Consider, we are seeing quite a few girls named Khaleesi. In a few years, one might write a biography, or a fictional biography, or just a work of fiction, about a girl named Khaleesi, similar to how a character in Good Omens has been named by her hippie parents Pippin Galadriel Moonchild (a reference to The Lord of the Rings and The Neverending Story).
So, if you're asking about the legal aspect of things, there's no problem there, and that would be true regardless of what particular names you have chosen for your characters. If you're asking about other aspects of the issue, you should ask yourself how strongly the names are associated with the preexisting work. In your particular case, I do not believe there is a strong association. In other cases, the answer might be different.
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
answered 9 hours ago
GalastelGalastel
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40.7k6 gold badges119 silver badges222 bronze badges
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1
It's useful and common among writers to point out blind spots or possible misapprehensions in one another's work, and names are a common enough place to see this. EX: Three of six of us at writers' club had a character named some variant of Gabriel. We all picked our versions of "Gabriel" independently and without realizing that we had all fallen onto the same root name. Meanwhile, a literary agent online made an offhand comment about how sick she is of the name Gabriel. There's nothing wrong with any of us using the name, but sometimes it's wise to change a name... for any number of reasons.
– DPT
7 hours ago
What is the target audience for your novel? Different audiences will have different levels of familiarity with the other story.
– Arcanist Lupus
7 hours ago