Hi Keith, thanks for the great video! This may sound like a stupid question, but can you use trademarked names in word search books? For example, could I create a word search titled 'Social Media' and then have words like Instagram, Meta etc in my word list? I was also wondering about the names of famous people and products? I just think you can never be too careful with this kind of thing!
Let me start off by saying I’m not a lawyer. That said, based on my research and experience, you cannot have a trademarked name in the title, subtitle, etc. As for the interior, as long as you’re not using the brand/name in a negative light, you should be fine using it in your puzzles. For example, a word search puzzle called Oscar winners where the list is a bunch of actors names, should be fine. However, a word search for Worst Actors Ever would not go over as well. I’d also suggest adding a disclaimer statement in your copyright section that says something like, “This book is not endorsed by the names, brands or personalities used within these puzzles and are meant for entertainment purposes only.”
Thanks so much for your speedy reply Keith, I really appreciate it. That all sounds very sensible, and what I was hoping would be the case. I love the disclaimer idea too! Thanks again for your help - and providing us with fantastic content 🙏😊
