1. mg357

    mg357 Active Member

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    Difficult writing question.

    Discussion in 'Character Development' started by mg357, Mar 19, 2013.

    I have a difficult writing question, i am planning to write a story and their is a grandma in the story. Here is the difficult part i want to use my grandama's first name for the name of the grandma in my story, but since my grandma is deceased i can not ask her permission to use her name, how do i get around this problem?
     
  2. Pheonix

    Pheonix A Singer of Space Operas and The Fourth Mod of RP Contributor

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    If she's deceased, (sorry btw) could you ask one of your parents for that permission? Or just go ahead and use her name in tribute of your grandmother?
     
  3. Sanjuricus

    Sanjuricus Active Member

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    You've answered your own question there.
    Unless your grandma is the only grandma in the entirety of history with that name, you're pretty safe to assume you don't need permission. It's also just a name, if you were wanting to include her as the granny in character as well as name then you might just have to ask the executors of her estate.

    I am not a lawyer!
     
  4. iolair

    iolair Active Member

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    I'm not a lawyer and I don't know where you live - to get the definitive answer you need to get legal advice, or find legal documents, that are specific to your country/state.

    However, my understanding of the situation is that you can legally do what you like with dead people's names, personalities and details in fiction, without needing any permission. (Their 'work' (i.e. any music/publications/writings) may be copyright and the copyright would have been inherited by their next of kin or whoever was specified in their will.) The only sticking point is whether the way you write the character could cause upset in your family - but that's an ethical/judgement issue rather than a legal one.
     
  5. SwampDog

    SwampDog Senior Member

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    As Sanjuricus has said, you're using a female name. Without reading anything else into your post, it just happens to be the same name as your grandmother.

    Use it.
     
  6. chicagoliz

    chicagoliz Contributor Contributor

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    Why is it so important to use your grandmother's name? Are you intending to use her first name only or her first and last name? I don't see what the problem is if you're only using her first name.
     
  7. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    imagine if all the names we used in our writing had to be unique..... pffft!
     
  8. erebh

    erebh Banned Contributor

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    Hey nobody asked grandma's name - it might be Coca Cola or AppleMac - then the OP would need more than a Ouija Board and a Séance...
     
  9. mg357

    mg357 Active Member

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    Thank you for all of your posts and advice i talked to my mom who is my grandma's youngest child and she gave me permission to use grandma's name btw i am only using my grandma's first name not her last name.
     
  10. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    you didn't need any permission, since many people have the same first name... but it's nice that you asked your mom and she approved of your decision to use it...
     
  11. Sanjuricus

    Sanjuricus Active Member

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    This. :) :) :)
     
  12. DeathandGrim

    DeathandGrim Senior Member

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    You don't need permission. You're all clear.
     

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