Copywrite question!

FTsmith

FTsmith

Hey all, it has been awhile since I've posted anything, and I didn't really have a chance to utilize this service as much because I was working! (Good thing, right?) Well, now I'm working on a feature film and I'm doing Production Design. We've got a scene comming up that takes place in a News room, now the news station is not specified and I was wondering if it really matters what Channel we claim the station to be? There are soooo many, and in the interest of not getting sued, can we just put up like a "Channel 8 News" and not specify the place? Its a tricky question I know, and I hope someone can help me out with it. Thanks!!

Will post updates on the film as we're going for amusement purposes...mabye even let you all know when it comes out!

-FT
 
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I'm not a legal expert, but I think it should be okay to use "Channel 8 News" as long as you're not using any specific stations or call signs like CBS, TBN, News 1, Fox 5, which are clearly identifiable. Channel 8 is generic.
 
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Whatever city this is based in, avoid using their channel numbers (pick a number not in use in that market). Avoid all station call letters (WABC, etc.. Make one up.). Avoid trademarks (AccuWeather, etc.).
 
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I wouldn't use 'channel 8 news' or 'chanel 5 news' because where I am (and most anyplace else I have lived ) have all had channel 8 or 5 news. Even though that is just a number and not a station.

Like the ficticious telephone number exchange 555, I would feel safer doing that. Channel 777 news or 555 news.
 
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indietalk said:
You don't need to go that far.
Click to expand...

Correct. For whatever city this is supposed to be, if you pick a channel number that doesn't have a station in that market, you are safe legally. Even with using a channel #, as long as it isn't using call letters or anything else identifying that station as the same, you have legal protection.

You may want to investigate parody laws, as that may be applicable too.
 
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I think you made the right choice by just going with "Channel 8 News". I mean so long as you don't say "This is ABC Channel 8 News" or something, I'd think you'd be on the safe side. Where I used to live, channel 8 was the public access station that no one watched anyway.

I think channels are the same as radio station frequencies, no one can "own" it in a sense, I mean, you can have two or more stations in the same state with the same frequency number and play way different genre's of music.

But I'm not a lawyer, just a film maker and I haven't opened my "The Law: For Film Makers" book yet. So that's really all I can write on the subject at the moment.
 
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If there's no mention of a city then how could anyone associate a specific station or network with the channel? In Los Angeles, for example, channel 8 is PBS. I'm sure it differs in every city across the US. I can't imagine even a cold day in hell that Fox, PBS, CBS, or NBC would sue an indie film production over the number 8. Of course you don't want errors and omissions to get anal retentive with you. So just make sure the viewer can't associate a city with channel 8.
 
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