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Questions tagged [libel]

This tag should be used for questions about libel or defamation in literary works, such as whether something you use in a fictional context might be perceived as libel by a real person or corporation.

This tag should be used for questions about libel or defamation in literary works, such as whether something you use in a fictional context might be perceived as libel by a real person or corporation. Libel is a topic concerned with whether a false statement will harm the reputation of an entity.

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Is it permitted to mention a real life work of fiction in your story?

I am working on a new project that draws influence from a currently running television show. What I want to do is make a reference to that show in my work. Almost as a joke to say, "We're nothing like that show." Is it appropriate to use the name of…
Dylan Beck
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Can I use a public university as the setting for my fiction?

The odds of actually publishing are low, but just in case, I wanted to know if using a public university campus as a setting for my tragic romance would open me up to libel suits or anything else. A few things do happen in the book that are very…
Phillip Applegate
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Autobiography and lawsuits

If I write an autobiography and include living family members who have done some very strange things, am I at the risk of being sued?
jerry
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My character is a child abductor; can he drive a brand-name car?

I'm about to self-pub my first novel, a domestic thriller with a time-travel twist, and in the story, one of my main characters abducts a child (he's not a pedophile). He owns a 1970 Barracuda--the car that he uses in the abduction--and I'm…
MJ Mumford
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Satirical writing: how much can you say about famous athletes?

I recently re-read a story I did from 2012, and reading it cold made me realize how much I liked it. There was just one problem: the narrator mentions real athletes. Writing from an alter ego, in an obviously satirical way, the narrator goes to the…
August Canaille
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Using religious movements in novels without getting sued?

I am writing a book which takes a pretty negative view of the Hare Krishna movement (note that evidence of this within the ISKCON actually exists). I don't have anything against HK, but portraying them as an shady organisation works as a central…
Harry Chista
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Pop star names and other famous people or characters

If I write a page about a current pop star that talks about what they're doing, that is a fact such as dedicating themselves to Satan or involved in witchcraft, can I be sued by them even though it's a fact?
Denise Raulerson
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