April 09, 2008

Can I use real brand names in my novel?

I was wondering if mentioning name brands in my book, such as Dooney & Burke or Chanel, is illegal, and does it count as advertising? If so, will I have to request permission and/or pay to use them?

There is an excellent article on using trademarked names in fiction here: http://www.publaw.com/fairusetrade.html