Indiana Entertainment Legal Questions

You cannot use the names/images/voices of other people for your commercial purposes unless you have their permission. Everyone has a right of publicity to prevent that. The right of publicity varies from state to state, however if you are going to be offering your book in all states then you must comply with the laws of every state. There are exceptions that allow use in certain situations, but again this varies from state to state. In general, it is not a good idea to use someone else's name for characters in your book even if you slightly change the name. You can still get in trouble even if you are not using their exact name.... Read More

The answer is, it depends on the type of business organization; the law under which the organization was formed; and any agreement between the business owners. State law will govern the conditions under which a business organization can be dissolved, although it may allow the business owners to modify the law to some extent. You need to find out several things: (1) is this a partnership or some other type of business organization such as corporation or limited liability company; (2) what state law governs the business organization; and (3) did the business owners have a written agreement that sets out conditions for dissolution. Once you determine this, you can find out if sending dissolution papers is adequate to dissolve the business organization. Then, you need to consult the laws/agreement to determine how to "wind up" the business.... Read More