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Entertainment

With so many people using Google products in their daily lives, we know that filmmakers, television producers, and creatives of all types want to incorporate a bit of Google into their projects to make them more realistic and relatable. Here’s how to find out if your use is permitted and whether you need to submit a request.

Entertainment@2x (1).webp

Google Search being used to look up a fictional graphic novel / Image courtesy of the Amazon Original Series Utopia on Prime Video

General guidelines

These guidelines apply to all uses of Google brand elements (our products, logos, and trademarks) in fictional or real-life entertainment and media, such as TV, film, music videos, etc.

Please read the guidelines below before you submit your request.

Context

Context is key. We consider who’s using our products, how they’re being used, and what they’re being used for when determining whether your usage is appropriate or not. In general, you should show our products being used in a natural, accessible, and relatable way. Don’t show our products being used in unrealistic ways or being portrayed as scary or dangerous.

We won’t approve any submission requests that show our products being used in connection with drugs, adult or explicit content, violence, illegal activities, armed weapons, or hate speech. You may also not show our products being used in ways that violate our terms of service.

Be positive
Show our products being used for positive or neutral purposes, such as:
  • A mother using Google Search to look up information about online learning resources for her child.
  • A group of friends using Google Maps for directions on their road trip.
  • An international traveler using Google Translate to ask for help finding their hotel.
Don’t show our products in a negative light
Don’t show our products being used for negative purposes, such as:
  • A bad guy using Google Search for nefarious purposes.
  • Bank robbers using Google Maps to find the location of their next target.
  • Someone using Gmail to threaten, spam, or harass someone.
Show our products functioning as intended
Show our products functioning as intended and being helpful, such as:
  • Google Search displaying accurate and realistic results.
  • A Google Duo call taking place with a strong connection and high-quality video.
  • Google Assistant responding to a query with useful, relevant information.
Don’t show our products having negative consequences
Don’t show our products not working properly or having negative consequences, such as:
  • Google Maps giving someone the wrong directions or leading them into a dangerous area.
  • Google Search taking someone to a website with a virus on it.
  • An office worker getting angry at the amount of emails in their Gmail inbox.

UI screens

The products being depicted should be unaltered and true to how they appear and function in real life. Use the most current version of the Chrome browser and any logos (unless your story takes place in the past) and be sure to feature an accurate UI. The user (real or fictitious) should be shown as signed in when using any Google products.

Third-party content

Google does not own, and therefore cannot grant permission, for you to show third-party content that appears on our services, such as images in Google Search results, or video content (including thumbnails and other creator content) that appear on YouTube. You are responsible for clearing the use of the content with the content owner(s).
In certain circumstances, like fictional stories, you may replace this content with your own results and imagery, as long as you don’t otherwise alter how the product looks.

Make our products work the way they really work

Show products looking and functioning like the real thing, with exactly the same fonts, icons, colors, and positioning of elements.

Don’t invent functionality

Don’t invent functionality or modify what the product looks like by changing any fonts, spacing, graphics, colors, or other visual elements.

Make our products look real

Show the product being used realistically on a device, such as a person on a computer or holding their phone. Make sure the UI you are showing matches the operating system of the device being used.

Don’t show our products out of context

Don’t show the product out of context of a device, such as a full-screen video capture. (Except for certain uses of Google Maps and Earth, such as in documentaries, news, or travel shows where these products are useful in showing locations. Refer to the Geo Guidelines page for more information.)

Only modify content in realistic, fictional stories

Only modify content such as text and images in realistic fictional stories, and only if it is necessary and relevant to the plot.

Don’t modify content in real-life uses or unrealistic fictional stories

Don’t modify content such as text or images in real-life uses of our products or in unrealistic fictitious environments.

Verbal references

You don’t need our permission to reference Google or our products verbally, as long as you do so in a way that doesn’t imply an endorsement or affiliation with Google, and otherwise follow the guidelines on this page and site.

“Google” or our product names should never be used as verbs when written or spoken, or used in place of a common or generic term when not specifically referencing a Google product. Please keep this in mind as you write your scripts.

Go for it

“Can you look that up on Google for me?”

“I used Google to find the address of the restaurant.”

“I sent the information to you on Gmail.”

don't do this

“Can you Google that for me?”

“I googled the restaurant to find its address.”

“I Gmailed the information to you.”

Mimicking our UI

If you choose not to submit a request or your request was rejected, do not directly mimic or imitate our products or logos to make confusingly similar recreations.

Don’t imitate our logos

Don’t mimic or imitate our products or logos to make confusingly similar recreations.

Product-specific guidelines

Here are some guidelines for use of specific Google products in fictional or real-life entertainment and media.

Google Search

Any use of Google Search in entertainment or media must follow all of our general guidelines. Requests that don’t meet these guidelines will not be approved.

As mentioned above, here are a few examples of the types of uses that are not permitted:

don't do this

Looking up information about a person for the intent of harming them.

Searching for violent, derogatory, explicit, or otherwise negative terms and images.

Using Google Search in the course of committing a crime or other negative activities.

Use the real interface

Use the actual Google Search user interface. All fonts, textual and graphical elements, and layout features should look like the real thing. Make sure the footer and header elements are present.

Don’t modify the interface

Don’t change how the Google Search user interface looks. Don’t change the relative sizing or placement of any elements, or use different fonts, line spacing, or iconography. And don’t remove the footer or header elements.

Show Search in a browser

Show Google Search within the context of a browser (such as Chrome) on a real-life device like a computer, tablet, or phone.

Don’t show Search without the context of a browser or device

Don’t show Google Search outside of the context of a real-life browser or device.

Google Maps

Google Maps may be used in entertainment and media projects as long as you follow our general guidelines for use, as well as the following key points.

Use the real interface

Use the actual Google Maps user interface in your project. You may add annotations, such as lines, labels, and markers.

Don’t modify the interface

Don’t change how the Google Maps user interface looks. While you may add annotations like points and lines, you must not significantly alter how the product interface looks, such as by changing the colors or editing elements of the interface.

Always include the attribution

Always include proper attribution to Google and our data providers. See more detailed info here.

Don’t modify the attribution

Don’t remove, obscure, or crop out the attribution information. This is not permitted under any circumstances.

Google Earth

If you want to feature Google Earth and Earth Studio in your TV, film, or documentary, you don’t need our permission, as long as you attribute correctly and otherwise follow the guidelines found here.

Proper attribution to Google and our data providers is required. You may not remove this attribution for any purpose. Moving the attribution to the end credits or having it fade out after a few seconds is not allowed.

This includes everything from news broadcasts, short films, music videos, and documentaries, but does not include promotional films, advertisements or commercials. Google Earth may not be used for these purposes under any conditions. This License to use Google Earth and Earth Studio content applies to all types of film regardless of platform (and technology) distributed on, but does not extend to content distributed from or to these territories.

Before using Google Earth or Earth Studio, please review our License Terms and Terms of Service. We also ask that you register your usage here – we love seeing creative uses of Google Earth and appreciate the insights you share.

go for it

As long as you follow these guidelines, you do not need to submit a request to use Google Earth in your film or TV project.

don't do this

Remember, you may not use Google Earth in TV, print, or online commercials or promotional videos for your company or product.

Street View

Street View may only be used if it’s filmed directly in the context of an actor or subject using the product as-is, in the context of a device such as a laptop or phone. Street View images may not be taken out of context and used for other purposes. Please submit a request if you’d like to use Street View in your project.

YouTube

YouTube has specific guidelines for use of its logos, app icons, and interface for entertainment purposes. Please read their full brand standards here before submitting your request.

As mentioned in the general guidelines above, use of YouTube brand elements must:

go for it

Feature the product interface exactly as it actually looks and functions.

Feature only appropriate content: no violence, drug use, animal abuse, children, hate speech, adult content, etc.

Be free of any third-party content: thumbnails, profile pictures, actual usernames, etc.

Google-owned content

Usage of content that’s created and owned by Google, such as a portion of a video from one of Google’s own YouTube channels, may or may not be acceptable depending on the use.
You may submit a request to use Google-owned content, but we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to grant you permission, since licensing rights vary depending on who produced the content and what its original purpose was.

Usage

If you’d like to include Google-owned content in your work, please consider the following:

  • You’re welcome to embed these videos under YouTube’s terms of service.
  • Your use of other content may be acceptable under principles of fair use (or other similar concepts in other countries). Fair use is a concept under copyright law in the U.S. that, generally speaking, permits you to use a copyrighted work in certain ways without obtaining a license from the copyright holder. Google can’t tell you if your use of this content would be fair use; these are legal analyses that depend on all of the specific facts of your proposed use. You may wish to consult your own legal advice.

Submit a request

First, you may not need to submit a request

ask first

If you want to feature any other Google product in your professional, theatrical, broadcast, for-profit (commercial), streaming, or wide-release film/TV/digital project, you’ll need to get your use approved by Google. Review the guidelines on this page for the product(s) you wish to feature to ensure your use is appropriate – then submit a request. Plan on 2 weeks turnaround time.

go for it

If you want to feature a Google product in your personal, non-commercial, or student film/online video project, feel free to move forward with your project, and you don’t need to ask for permission – as long as you follow the guidelines found in this section.

To submit a request

First thoroughly review the guidelines on this site. Requests that don’t meet our brand standards will be rejected. Requests that don’t accurately feature our UI screens will require revisions, which will increase review and approval time.
We will review your request as long as you provide the following:

Synopsis

An overall synopsis of the production.

Description

A detailed description of how the Google product will be used. Include all relevant information such as:

  • Who is the character using the product?
  • What are they using it for (i.e. what specifically are they looking up on Google Search)?
  • What happens as a result of the product’s use later in the story?
  • Other contextual information about the featured use.
Script Pages

Any script pages featuring the use of the Google product(s).

Mockup

A visual mockup or screenshot of how the product will look on screen.

Google reserves the right to approve or deny any proposed use of any Google product. Please be patient as we have many requests. It can take up to 2 weeks for us to review and respond to your request.

Submit a Request

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