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Don't use real brands in your games/novels

Not because you can't, but because you often can in novels at least— but shouldn't, because you're giving mega corps free advertising.

I mean there's other good reasons too, like "inventing dumb fake brands is half the fun", but that's plenty reason already. Don't lick boots, even if they taste like Oreo.

Janne Moren

@glassbottommeg
Also, you never know if that brand you tossed in will suddenly be tainted and have a completely different meaning to people a few years down the road.

Japanese state TV has strict prohibitions on any brand imaging at all. Every drama scene with a computer screen is full of stuff like a "Goggle" search screen, the "Ahomon" online retailer and so on.

NHK can't even call the May holiday "Golden Week" (that everyone uses) since it originated in a TV commercial decades ago.

@jannem @glassbottommeg

most PSBs (public service broadcasters) have similar rules - in UK the popular cartoon cat "Top Cat" was called "Boss Cat" on Childrens BBC until 1980s as there was an existing UK brand of cat food called "Top Cat.

@jannem @glassbottommeg Is there truly any difference when it's that clear which Big Brand (tm) is being referenced?