Screenwriting : Establishments' names... by Tamim Almousa

Can it be named Y?

Yes. Absolutely. Writers are free, for the most part, to include trademarked (or non-trademarked) names in their screenplays, especially if innocuous or benign in their mention—names mentioned truthfully, just as they are in real life, say... for creating a sense of authenticity of a particular location for your story, i.e. your local bar. As long as you are not portraying the trademark/brand in a defamatory, negative or false way that could cause the brand damage you should be fine. ...Of course you could just make up a name. Lol! I hope that helps. ;)

They may welcome the free ad

Heck yeah. Put it in there. Like Jay said, that's free press for that bar and they may be grateful for the shout out.

James: Serves me right for setting you up like that.

Thanks, guys!

Thank you for sharing.

Yep! What Beth said. The same thing for novels - I was an editor for a few years. But Dan G. is also spot on. Don't lose sleep or worry about it. In the end, the Director will determine what stays and goes. But if you're producing it yourself, follow what Beth said.

Not losing sleep over it. Just wondering.

Dan Guardino - Thank you!! I'm glad you shared. I'm still learning about the minute details of this industry. :D

As long as you have a signed release from them, you are good to go. Make sure the release is a good one (written by an entertainment attorney).

Hey Dan - Of course it is.

Yes, you can call a bar "X" in your screenplay. In most cases there would be no releases needed even for the finished film. They do not own the letter "X" or it's use as the name of a bar.