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What's Niantic's position on using the proper names of non- deceased persons in titles and descrip
grendelwulf-ING
Posts: 300 ✭✭✭✭
What's Niantic's position on using the proper names of non-deceased persons in titles and descriptions without permission or compensation?
Like the name of a chef at a restaurant or trainer or famous person at a fitness center?
Answers
Are those the real names of those places, or do those persons own those facilities?
Give high ratings to:
I would discourage use of a name that could be temporarily associated to the Wayspot, but they generally add value.
And if a person finds out their name is being used to promote a wayspot? Hypothetically say a pokestop at a culinary academy says that Gordon Ramsey once studied or taught there?
I don't see how it would be different than any other online or printed article using a person's name or referencing them, unless it was libel.
If it's true then I don't see the problem as it might be the reason why that's a PoI. If it's false, then obviously it should be edited.
You don't believe people should be compensated for use of their name or likeness of it is a part of their personal "brand"?
If they don't want their name/location to be used surely they can request the removal. On the other hand, maybe those places should compensate Niantic for driving people to that location?
So far this is all hypothetical. Do you have a real example of a person that should be compensated?
I'll bring up another example to muddy the waters a bit: consider pools, where the guidance says that, "...a pool that a local Olympic medal winner trained at would be eligible". So do we rate differently if the submitter name dropped Michael Phelps in the description versus the supporting statement?
The use of names/likenesses in promoting business is actually a VERY complicated subject! Especially when it comes to advertising or claiming endorsement. For example, there's a barbecue restaurant in my state that has walls covered in pictures of celebrities that have eaten there. A signed photo of Harrison Ford on the wall is much different from putting up a billboard proclaiming "Harrison Ford ate here!"
No, because that's not how it works in America. You don't need a public person's permission to publish mundane facts about them. Jeez, read a Constitution once in a while.
Many (and I mean many) murals and sculptures that I come across absolutely deserve the artist's name and credit in the wayspot's title and/or description where applicable. Honouring their legacy, work and effort is fantastic overall and adds a lot of value to an otherwise bland description that says "steel sculpture" or "mural in the mall". This sentence is based on Gendgi's post of the Wayfarer guidelines.
But now if we were to go to other types of nominations such as historical buildings, memorial plaques, facilities dedicated in commemoration of people, or even of gravestones of famous or prominent people in history, I really don't see a big problem if their mention is truly relevant. For example:
I'm generally happy to include names in a nomination title or description if they have a direct influence or fact which is true and backed up by evidence. But if the person isn't really famous or has a role/significance in the community, like saying that two players got married at a hotel, or that the description isn't true, yeah that would be red flags. Mentioning someone's name might be the only way to advocate for something that would otherwise be generic.