I was just curious as to how this would work out. Say I make a game with some celebrity's in it? As long as I dont have any slander/libel type stuff, then am I ok to use their name and/or face? I would assume yes when I think about something like South Park. If not, how could I go about getting around it? Also, I wouldnt be selling the material.

i would geuss so since most protection is to stop people from gettin money and publicisity but I wouldn't trust my advice.

Good heavens, no! Do NOT do this. Celebrities, South Park, whatever, unless you're running some sort of low-level fansite, I would really not do this. The issues of Intellectual Property don't vanish just because you don't make money. If you have some bucks, check with a lawyer first. If you don't, and you decide to do something that has the likenesses of celebrities and TV show characters, you do run a risk, if you're over 18 years of age and someone whose likeness you use decides to make you stop.

Actually, the only way you could get away with it is if you make it a parody (which is what South Park does), IIRC a person's likeness is that person's copyright, so copyright law applies, but I am not a lawyer.

South Park gets away with it because A. it's a parody, and B. they aren't using the actors' likenesses. Construction paper cutouts, or in this case, computer generated construction paper cutouts, being called by that actor's name doesn't count as using that actor's likeness. So I guess if you made a game with a character model that looked nothing like Tom Cruise but called that character Tom Cruise (preferably never having it in text form and with a voice that sounds nothing like his) then you could probably get away with it.

Maybe this web page will help you:

http://www.dancingwithlawyers.com/pubs/doc-gaw3.shtml (Clicky )

-cb

what's the difference when people slender our others like bush and m.jackson?