AKA-47: Difference between revisions

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In some computer games and [[RPG]]s, you get real guns with fake names. They have the appearance and the characteristics of the real gun, but not the name.

The reason appears to be avoiding potential lawsuits from the manufacturers of said firearms; it's a lot easier to prove a trademark infringement over a name than over the unique likeness of a weapon, and many companies haven't trademarked the latter anyway. There's also the issue of editorial control; much as car companies used to dictate that vehicles in videogames could not be shown crashing or being damaged (they just hit things and stopped), gun companies could potentially demand their weapons only be shown in certain situations as a requirement for inclusion of their trademarks~~. Oddly, often happens even with guns known primarily by a military designation or name that the trademark on has expired where legal issues with using them shouldn't be relevant~~.

The reason appears to be avoiding potential lawsuits from the manufacturers of said firearms; it's a lot easier to prove a trademark infringement over a name than over the unique likeness of a weapon, and many companies haven't trademarked the latter anyway. There's also the issue of editorial control; much as car companies used to dictate that vehicles in videogames could not be shown crashing or being damaged (they just hit things and stopped), gun companies could potentially demand their weapons only be shown in certain situations as a requirement for inclusion of their trademarks.

Oddly, often happens even with guns known primarily by a military designation or name that the trademark on has expired where legal issues with using them shouldn't be relevant (the AK tends to get this even though the only possible owner no longer exists). The United States legal system determined in 2007 with ''Colt Defense LLC v. Bushmaster Firearms INC'' that military assigned designations (M4) were generic and free to use.

A subtrope of [[Bland-Name Product]]. Compare [[Improperly Placed Firearms]]. Often avoided by setting games in [[World War II]], since most trademarks associated with weapon names from that period have long since lapsed.