· 17 comments · Save ·
For Sale Apr 19, 2026 at 1:23 AM

Did Supernatural have to pay for all the famous names the brothers used?

Posted by TerribleBid8416

🚩 Report this post

17 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
[deleted] Apr 19, 2026 +17
[deleted]
17
Locke108 Apr 19, 2026 +3
They had to give him a fiddle of gold
3
AcanthaceaeOld9051 Apr 19, 2026 +4
lol imagine Satan's agent negotiating royalties for the apocalypse storyline but seriously they probably just claim fair use since these are all public domain religious/mythological figures. Hollywood's been using these names forever without paying anyone
4
ranhalt Apr 19, 2026 +6
Why specifically Supernatural and not “all Tv shows”?
6
Wrong-Vermicelli4723 Apr 19, 2026 +6
What famous names? All the supernatural and Mythical beings are under public domain 
6
Agama5 Apr 19, 2026 +4
OP means all the famous people the brothers used as their FBI cover names, often musicians in hard rock groups.
4
Wrong-Vermicelli4723 Apr 19, 2026 +2
Oh, yeah they don’t have to pay for that. Almost every show I’ve watched has name dropped some celeb 
2
xrufus7x Apr 19, 2026 +3
They use celebrity names for their aliases all the time, usually members of famous rock bands
3
Wrong-Vermicelli4723 Apr 19, 2026 +1
That’s a thing with all tv shows and movies. 
1
xrufus7x Apr 19, 2026 +1
I know, I am just explaining why they are bringing up famous names for Supernatural, and it is because of that running gag
1
Wrong-Vermicelli4723 Apr 19, 2026 +1
Ahh I see yeah… honestly this talk makes me want to rewatch for the third time. Show is extremely easy to watch.. definitely the first 5 seasons 
1
monsieurxander Apr 19, 2026 +4
Nope, they're not actually playing those people, it's a running joke, and they're public figures. Legally, they're in the clear a few times over.
4
Hceverhartt Apr 19, 2026 +9
I don't think you can copyright a name
9
ranhalt Apr 19, 2026 +2
Trademark, not copyright
2
devospice Apr 19, 2026 +2
Names? No. You can mention people. But they probably paid a pretty penny for all that music they played throughout the series.
2
o_MrBombastic_o Apr 19, 2026 +1
And sadly lost the rights to those songs for later broadcasts. Repeats have a different set of songs especially the 1st season 
1
quasimdm Apr 19, 2026
The standard practice from what i remember is, you find someone with the same name as anyone else, and you pay them $1 to use that name. That way they aren't really Robert Plant from Led Zepplin, they're Robert Plant the guy from walmart. Also, there is the case of 'public figures' which would allow the use of such names too.
0
← Back to Board