I recently watched the video titled “Walmart: The High Cost of Low Prices” and it got me thinking about the usage of the company name in the title and repeated throughout the documentary. Some people were interviewed and it would make sense that they would have signed a release allowing the filmmakers to use that footage, but I still wonder about the rights to use the store name in a video which put them in a negative light.
Then I wonder about “true story” films which use the real names of people. Could I put together an exposé, book or film, about a former place of employment and use the company name as well as the names of coworkers? Would I need to get each of them to sign a release? Is this the reason I’ve seen disclaimers about names being changed to keep secret the identities of the involved parties? If I just made a movie which portrayed that company and those individuals in a negative light, would they have a case against me? Would it matter that the events portrayed were accurate?