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.
@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.
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?