# Allusions



## The Byzantine Bandit (Sep 9, 2012)

Is it fair game to make an allusion to a character in a work that isn't public domain? Any need for citations or anything? Thanks!


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## The Backward OX (Sep 11, 2012)

You need to make your meaning clear. Allusion _where_, exactly?




Oh, Wow! 5000 posts.


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## Bloggsworth (Sep 11, 2012)

If you are alluding to a real person then you cannot malign them - Whtever you may think of Romney or Obama, you can't attribute falsities, like saying they are grave robbers or serial rapists, all you write in association with them has to be demonstrably true.


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## Cran (Sep 11, 2012)

The Byzantine Bandit said:


> Is it fair game to make an allusion to a character in a work that isn't public domain? Any need for citations or anything? Thanks!


If you mean by making a comparison or off-the-cuff reference to a well-known fictional character - _he's another Peter Pan, an eternal child with his head in the clouds _- _you're acting like he's some kind of Voldemort/Sauron, when really he's more of a Dobby/Gollum - _citations are not required, and informal acknowledgments are optional. 

If you mean to quote from the original work, an in-text reference, footnote, endnote, or forenote acknowledgment or citation is standard.


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