: Re: Are there any legal restrictions on using the actual names of famous people in a historical novel? I am writing a novel that contains spy elements. Although the plot is based in the near future,

@Holmes449

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A very good editor friend gave me this link and she is very attuned to issues of this type: www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/questions-and-quandaries/legal-questions/is-it-ok-to-write-a-fictional-story-about-a-historical-character :

Here is a summation if you don't care to follow the link:

"You can write about historical people because the two main legal areas you need to worry about when writing about real people—defamation of character and invasion of privacy—only apply to living people,” Cook says. “The deceased’s heirs cannot sue under those causes of action either.”

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