Using real GLO names in TV/movies?

AChiOhSnap · #1 02-09-2007, 04:25 PM

Hi everyone,

On the O.C. last night (I know you were all watching Grey's instead), there was a little guest role of a rich, young obnoxious trophy wife. The character talked about how she loved to party, described herself as a "total alcoholic" and that she loved to go back to her college sorority to "party" and do shooters with her sorority sisters. One of the other characters expressed surprise that she would still go back to party with her sorority after graduating. The trophy wife character then named a real NPC sorority and said "A member in college, a member for life."

What is the legality of having a ficitious character belong to a real GLO? Are GLO names copyrighted? I know Charlotte on SATC was a Kappa but nothing about her characterization would really be defamatory to Kappa. The OC character was portrayed as an irresponsible mother, a bimbo, just an all around obnoxious rich sorority girl type. It's not like the character used some nickname like "Sigma" which could represent any GLO with "Sigma" in the name. Could the writers of a TV show or movie get sued for using the name of a real GLO in a defamatory way? What do you all know about this sort of thing?

Sorry if this has been discussed before but I didn't find anything when I searched.

sherbertlemons · #2 02-09-2007, 04:41 PM

Well, I have no idea of the legality of it, but I know that the book version of Legally Blonde uses real sorority names. Elle is a DG, the finess instructor accused of the murder is a Theta, and the real murdurer is a KKG. :-D

It was changed for the movie, so I wonder if there are different issues affecting the book versus the movie? Or maybe it was essentially a courtesy issue? Movies are much more widely circulated, and I know some Kappas who would not be amused by the murderer being identified as a Kappa. (I personally think it's very amusing.)

I know some USC sororities cooperated by letting Reese Witherspoon observe their houses for the movie, so maybe the change was also tied into that.

Tom Earp · #3 02-09-2007, 05:03 PM

I think Greeks will find that their Names, Badges, and Coat of Arms are all copy righted.

There was a Band from somewhere land who used a very nearly like C of A of LXA and a member found it. They were contacted and the Brother was told to F Off. "They Designed it". LOL! Remember, LXA C of A is very significant to many others.

They were contacted and there is no longer a C of A, that was a total take off of ours!

Most GLOs do not like to see their names or letters attached to any media unless it is approved.

Drolefille · #4 02-09-2007, 05:14 PM

Is it any different than having a fictional character attend a specific university? Those names are just as copyrighted as our GLOs. Are people are less likely to say, "oh all Yale graduates are like Rory Gilmore" than they are to say "all XYZs are like this O.C. character"?

MSKKG · #5 02-09-2007, 05:47 PM

I think there is a difference in using the whole name of the real GLO and the nickname. Take Kappa for example: There are other GLOs which are known as "Kappa" even though KKG was founded 1st and was referred to as "Kappa" before the others. I was watching "Something to Talk About" last night, and Julia Roberts' character had invited Dennis Quaid's character to a "Chi O Sadie Hawkins" dance for their 1st date. Even something so obvious can be explained by saying the "O" could mean omicron and not omega. Don't know about using the official name of a real GLO though. The characters in the play "Vanities" were KKGs, but I don't know if it caused any legal problems (this was many years ago though).

IMO, I think the storyline for "Legally Blonde" worked better having the fitness instructor being a Delta Nu instead of something different. I haven't read the book, but I think the movie emphasized the depths of sisterhood with both Elle and Brooke being DNs.

sherbertlemons · #6 02-09-2007, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSKKG

IMO, I think the storyline for "Legally Blonde" worked better having the fitness instructor being a Delta Nu instead of something different. I haven't read the book, but I think the movie emphasized the depths of sisterhood with both Elle and Brooke being DNs.

I agree. Honestly, the movie is just much better in general.

DSTCHAOS · #7 02-10-2007, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherbertlemons

Elle is a DG, the finess instructor accused of the murder is a Theta, and the real murdurer is a KKG. :-D

Aren't Elle and the fitness instructor sorority sisters in the movie?

sherbertlemons · #8 02-10-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Aren't Elle and the fitness instructor sorority sisters in the movie?

Yes, they are. They are both sisters of the fictitious sorority Delta Nu in the movie. I was talking about the book the movie is based on, where Elle is a DG and the fitness instructor is a Theta.

33girl · #9 02-10-2007, 12:31 PM

Anne Rivers Siddons did use real names in her books, but when it came to the main characters (who sometimes did non-honorable things) the sorority names were fake or nicknames only.

I honestly think it's a case by case basis...in the case of Legally Blonde, SATC and the OC, even if it isn't the most flattering portrayal, they are shows college age women like and it gets their name recognized. On the other hand, if it was something like a crime show where the woman is a murderer, I think the producers just change it to avoid offending anyone. Witness the many "Hudson University" students on Law & Order.

PGD-GRAD · #10 02-10-2007, 12:40 PM

On the show Coach, the main character had a Beta Theta Pi paddle hanging on his office wall in the opening credits. I can't remember if it was mentioned often in the show, or if he was a Beta in real life.

In Designing Women, the Julia character several times mentioned being a Tri Delt, which she was in real life. The Suzanne character, Delta Burke, was supposed to be a Pi Phi from a school in Mississippi. In reality, she was not Greek.

Senusret I · #11 02-10-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Witness the many "Hudson University" students on Law & Order.

LMAO..... Don't go to Hudson unless you want to get raped, murdered, or both!

irishpipes · #12 02-12-2007, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

I honestly think it's a case by case basis...in the case of Legally Blonde, SATC and the OC, even if it isn't the most flattering portrayal, they are shows college age women like and it gets their name recognized. On the other hand, if it was something like a crime show where the woman is a murderer, I think the producers just change it to avoid offending anyone. Witness the many "Hudson University" students on Law & Order.

Yes - many of the ADAs mention that they went to Columbia, Abby went to Texas, but the crimes always occur at fictional Hudson.

AlphaFrog · #13 02-16-2007, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

Witness the many "Hudson University" students on Law & Order.

They had the TW episode on the other night.

My mom said "Aren't they missing a letter? Greeks are supposed to have 3 letters".

No, mom.

DSTCHAOS · #14 02-11-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sherbertlemons

Yes, they are. They are both sisters of the fictitious sorority Delta Nu in the movie. I was talking about the book the movie is based on, where Elle is a DG and the fitness instructor is a Theta.

Okay so the movie IS better than the book.

IvySpice · #15 02-12-2007, 12:34 PM

Quote:

it could always be claimed that they didn't mean "Alpha Tau Omega" if any copyright infringement issues ever came to a head.

It wouldn't be copyright infringement. Putting a real institution, whether a GLO, a university, or a chain restaurant, into a fictional story the way we've discussed on the thread is fair use. They are famous parts of our world, and you're allowed to talk about them in your fiction.

In contexts where using the real name is not OK (like labeling a product), using a nickname won't help you. You can't call your publishing company "The UCLA Press" and then argue that it stands for the University of Candles at Los Alamos. We know what you meant.

Re Anne Rivers Siddons and main characters...the best friend in "Heartbreak Hotel" is called a Pi Beta Phi by name, even though she was certainly breaking all kinds of standards that would have been in place in Alabama in the 1950's.