Negative checking

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Negative checking is a process by which producers of film, television and radio programs will attempt to ensure that the names of fictional characters cannot be confused with real life people. One example is during the making of the series Inspector Morse, where the producers of the show checked with local police authorities to check that the fictional names they created could not be confused with any real life cases. One reason for this practice is to prevent any possible legal action for libel which could result.^[1]