I want to write a book based on a computer game world. Do I need permission from the games makers?

I want to use names of places on the map, names of some people and some background plot stuff from the computer game to write a novel. But do I need the game makers permission to do that to avoid copyright problems? Something like the books that were written based on the famous old computer game series Doom. But I want to write a fantasy book based on a different game.



If any authors out there know a bit about this I would appreciate your opinion.I want to write a book based on a computer game world. Do I need permission from the games makers?
Some of the material you use may be protected by trademarks. You should get permission for these in order to avoid any litigation in the future. Trademarks protect names, mainly (logos, too, but logos wouldn't be an issue in a book that consists only of text). Avoid using trademarked names, or get permission for using them.



Technically, you aren't necessarily infringing on trademarks just by using them in a novel, unless the use causes confusion in the minds of consumers, or damages or dilutes the value of the trademark. But the trademark owner can still sue (even if he may not win), unless you get permission in advance, and even a lawsuit that you win can be cripplingly expensive.



Ideas, concepts, and game play cannot be copyrighted or trademarked, so you are free to write a novel about a world similar to a game. But it's easy to accidentally use something that is copyrighted or trademarked, so you have to be careful. A novel that is completely original apart from being set in the virtual world of a game should be safe, but these days you never know, and often the real problem is just the cost of a lawsuit, not whether you win or lose.
You need written permission to write a book about their game or using elements from the game if you intend to publish and distribute it. They will most likely not give you permission.



You are violating copyright and intellectual property laws if you do otherwise.I want to write a book based on a computer game world. Do I need permission from the games makers?
you need to wright it first then go to the game makers and show them the completed version and ask them for permission
Of course



They routinely trademark such things as well as the copyright them.



When you say permission, you mean "what cut of the book's profits do they get?"I want to write a book based on a computer game world. Do I need permission from the games makers?
Yes, you do. Otherwise look forward to a huge court case where you will more than likely lose. Create your own world. It's really not that hard.