What do I do to get permission?

Question

I'm writing a book. And I want to try and get it published. There's just one thing I need to know.

If I put in a copyright product....let's say Coca Cola...or Oreos....or something like a grocery store's name...How do I get their permission to do so? Do I write them a letter? Or do I let the publishers handle it?

Answer 1

Just to clarify, you are misusing some intellectual property terms.  For example, the Coca-Cola product itself is not copyrighted, nor is the name Coca-Cola copyrighted.  Instead, the name Coca-Cola is a registered trademark.

It's not clear from your facts the context in which you are using the trademark.  These facts are important to determine whether infringement is an issue.  For example, nominative use of a trademark is generally acceptable.

Most publishers do handle intellectual property issues.  However, if you want to directly license the trademark, you will need to contact the legal department of each respective company.