Is it legal to use car manufacturers' names in a game?
For example:
- to describe Audi's quattro drive system?
- to display a rendering of an Audi?
- to include a photo (to which I have rights) of an Audi?
Answer
The problem with "Is it legal" questions is that:
- Laws differ from country to country, and from state to state - which jurisdiction are you in, and where do you expect your game to be distributed?
- Even something that appears to be legal may be ruled as not legal, or vice versa, should it be put to the test.
I'm not one of these people who says you should never ask legal advice from a non-lawyer, because even lawyers are not omniscient about law - many lawyers fight cases they wrongly think they can win. However you have to accept that no answer given to you is necessarily authoritative unless given by a judge sitting on your particular case. All you can do is arm yourself with knowledge.
Regarding the use of the word 'Audi' - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark
Regarding the appearance of an Audi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_dress
Regarding showing a picture of an Audi - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright (I reckon you'll be fine on this one)
Regarding describing the drive system - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent (I think you're ok here too - if the system is patented, it's public knowledge, just not public to reproduce or exploit as an invention)
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