will TPTB object?

[Cpn. Chris(tine) Bowman]

I'll post here because this is were the people interested in writing are

I'm currently writing a novel, science-fiction, I'm writing just now and I thought it would be funny to have a reference to SG-1 in it. This is an extract of my first draft,

"She switched channels by thinking about it and found herself watching some old science-fiction series that had been very popular at the beginning of the previous century, something about a military group of people traveling to other planets through a round device with a wormhole. She wondered if the writers of the show had had any idea that in just under two centuries later, humans would be actively considering building such a device. Alice was involved in the project as the highly respected mathematician she was."

It's got nothing to do with wormholes but this character is involved in a project. I was wondering if the PTB would object to having the series mentioned in the novel. I thought maybe the characters might name the project "Stargate" as an hommage to the series, or maybe sometimes make humorous comments related to the series. I've seen this kind of things done about Star Trek or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

[Jarnin]

I don't think they'd mind. I actually prefer that my scifi has some basis in reality; like O'Neill's various Star Trek references in the series

[Skydiver]

i doubt they'll mind. it's not as if you're referring to it by name....and popular culture references are in shows/books all the time

[Cpn. Chris(tine) Bowman]

So I can, say...call whatever they manage to invent "stargate" because the inventors watched the show or is that pushing it too far? I think it might be pushing it.

[Erik Pasternak]

I think it might be pushing it.

Me too, but I think it would be ok to actually say: "She was watching Stargate."

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Me too, but I think it would be ok to actually say: "She was watching Stargate."

I'm clueless about the law in such matters, but my guess is that your planned usage of Stargate SG-1 falls under public domain.

I could be wrong about this, but I doubt that TPTB have to pay a royalty to Gracie Films every time Jack mentions the Simpsons.

[samjack4ever]

I think as Stargate is part of popular culture then it is fine to mention it by name in your novel... It's a bit like talking about The Beetles or a Honda ...

[Mr Prophet]

If you plan to publish, just do a Google search on 'fair use'. Calling the device in your story a stargate is probably pushing it, but bear in mind that 'stargate' comes originally from Arthur C. Clarke's 2001.