Hey, everyone, I hope this is the right area to post my question 
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So I’ve been planning on making a game with a real city. I plan to take a part of the city and recreate it using google maps and street view as reference. But before I make it should I ask permission from the city to use the city in my game. Also is there anything I need to know copyright wise with using a real city besides advertisements (Billboards, Signs, etc).
Thanks,
Aura
You should already know that you can’t use Copyrighted Brands without permission from the brand owner.
As for the cities themselves, this is harder to answer, though in a statement found in Copyright.gov’s FAQ section (With a simple google search), Architecture is included in copyright, which I think may inculde city landmarks (Similar to How the Eiffel Tower with the lights on is Copyrighted).
(If you don’t live in the US, find your country’s equivalent or something)
Thanks this really helps. I was gonna build a recreation of a small california coastal city known as Pacific Grove. But it turns out that I might not be able to use some of the landmarks like the Point Pinos Lighthouse and the John Denver memorial. Thanks for the help!
This is a bit of a harder question to answer; and laws will vary depending on Jurisdictions. I’d suggest finding your local laws, or consult a Legal Representative.
So far I’ve contacted the city’s commerce bureau. No response so far but expect they will tell me that I cannot use landmarks and businesses without permission. I also expect them to ask whether my game is offensive or inappropriate.
I have a friend who is a former criminal defense lawyer but he worked with a law firm that also did copyright he said if I have any simple questions call or email the law firm. So I may end up doing that.
But if I don’t have permission from the city I can always rebrand it. 
But I’m hoping they will be fine with it. I’ve seen plenty of commercial roblox games with real cities.
Aura
@Agent_person and @xJxck_yy. Quick update turns out I did receive permission from the city attorney after contacting them. They told me that most cities don’t require permission but some do. So if you have any copyright questions about using a cities name you should contact the city attorney.