copyright intellectual-property software real-estate us-federal-government
Is it legal to depict public government buildings in a video game?
<p>At my business, some people are deliberating about adding public government buildings to a level in our game. There are concerns about whether this is legal. I thought for sure I played games in the past which depict the White House, Capitol Hill, and other places in DC, but I can't recall them so I wasn't able to allay my colleagues' concerns.</p>
<p>They wanted to add buildings such as the White House, the Capitol Building, Lincoln Memorial, etc. Does depicting these buildings require some sort of caveat or legal disclaimer? We're not sure if, e.g., adding the White House might denote endorsement from the president. Or if adding the Supreme Court Building would suggest endorsement of the SCOTUS, etc.</p>

<p>The design of federal government buildings in the United States is in the public domain. It is not a copyright violation to depict them in a video game. This is not necessarily true of all privately owned buildings and structures.</p>
