Hey Everyone,
I saw plenty of threads some older and some newer ones about questions as of:
“Can I use car brands xyz for my project?”
“How can I get a permission to use car xyz?”
“Does it cost anything?”
And I feel like I finally wanted to share some light on this topic. Just short about myself I am working as an independent licensing consultant connecting video game developers with car brands. I have several main clients including game developers and OEM's.
So let's go step by step:
1. Can I use a real car brand for my project?
Of course you can but you will need permission from the brand. The brand itself will ask questions like:
How is the brand displayed in your project?
Does the project or game feature violence?
Is there a damage model for the vehicle?
Now some will say - Can I just take a brand and change the logo a bit and replace some letters in the name and then I don't need permission?
There are different protections we talk about.
One is the logo and the brand name which is protected and the other one is the design of the model which is protected.
So that favorite hatchback of yours will most likely have a design patent.
Bonus question: But why there are so many games especially apps which still do that?
Well the short answer is - because they are flying under the radar of the automotive brands. Sometime ago car brands barely understood the video game market. But times have changed and they are adapting and rather sooner than later the car brands will take more actions against that.
Now to the next.
2. How can I get a permission to use a car?
You either know someone working at an automotive brand who can help you getting the right contact or you just try the usual way of info@“Insert car brand”.com
3. Does it cost anything?
The simple answer is - Yes it does.
But there are cases where a car brand is agreeing on their brand being used for a project free of charge. Basically sponsoring your project with their free IP use. This kind of agreement usually only works out if your project is not supposed to be commercially.
One example could be: You are taking care of a charity of delivering food to elderly and poor and you want to raise awareness for this program by developing a mini game where someone would drive packages from point a to b. So you would like to use a specific car brand for that. This could actually work - but it's just an example of what could work.
But how much does it cost then?
It depends on the case. Usually royalties or flat fees are agreed on depending on a financial forecast based on your project.
I hope this helps and if someone has some extra questions or needs some help shoot me a dm.
