Hi everybody! Can you help me please with this question?
When writing fiction "based on real events," can you use real names? Can events be invented to fill in the gaps of the real story?
This is what CHAT GPT answered: "When writing fiction "based on real events," it is generally allowed to use real names of individuals if they are widely known historical or public figures. However, it's important to consider that using real names can have legal and ethical implications, especially when depicting negative events or characteristics of those individuals.
Regarding filling in the gaps of the real story with invented events, this is a common practice in writing fiction based on real events. Often, historical information is incomplete or there are gaps in documented events, so writers may rely on imagination to construct a coherent and captivating narrative. However, it's important to clearly indicate that the work is a piece of fiction and that certain events or characters may have been modified or created to enhance the story.
In any case, it is advisable to conduct proper research and documentation on the real events and respect the integrity of the individuals involved, avoiding defamation or unjustly distorting their image"
What do you think guys? What would be the best practice?
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My understanding (as someone without any legal qualifications) is that with real life events and people, your worries aren't around copyright law as much as tort law / libel and defamation. So you have to be careful about what you represent to be true.
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Real people own their life rights. Public knowledge is public domain, like things that appear in the news. If you make up stories about people and it could be seen as defamatory.
Yes you can make up events and characters in a fictional story.
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I think you covered the main points. I’m dealing with the same issues with my projects. Each one will be handled individually with proper research and counsel.
Let me add how I’m handling one of the main characters. I’m using the middle name of the lead character which is factual to facilitate a book two which is self help and contains historical information. Now, I have to run it by legal. Wish me luck! It will resolve a whole multitude of issues.
I update my projects daily.
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