Question: I'm a wanna-be indie developer, and I am working on my first flash game. But, before I even start with the code, I want to know this: When determining the title of my game, how can I decide if it is copyrighted or not? 

For example, at first I thought about "Into the Void" for the title. When I Googled it, I found out that it is a name of a song by Black Sabbath. Is it okay if I use this title, or is it copyright infringement?

Answer: 
Short answer: you can use that name for your game legally, as long as you abide by the copyright laws and the name is not [trademarked](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademark). 

For the long answer, we refer to [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement):

> 
> **Copyright infringement** is the unauthorized use of works under
>  [copyright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright), infringing the copyright holder's "[exclusive rights](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exclusive_right)", such
>  as the right to reproduce, distribute, display or perform the
>  copyrighted work, spread the information contained within copyrighted
>  works, or to make [derivative works](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work). It often refers to copying
>  "[intellectual property](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intellectual_property)" without written permission from the copyright
>  holder, which is typically a publisher or other business representing
>  or assigned by the work's creator. 
> 
> 
> 

If you really want to avoid any confusion or problems that may occur in the future, try contacting Black Sabbath and ask them if you can use that name for your game. If they say "no", then perhaps consider a lawyer, or just come up with a different name. If they say "yes", make sure to keep your [paper trail](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/paper_trail) for reference in the future.

**Relevent Links:**

* [Copyright Protection Not Available for Names, Titles, or Short
Phrases](http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ34.pdf)
* [Copyright vs. Trademark vs. Patent](http://www.lawmart.com/forms/difference.htm)
* [What resources can I use to determine if the name of my game violates any copyrights or trademarks?](https://gamedev.stackexchange.com/questions/14941/what-resources-can-i-use-to-determine-if-the-name-of-my-game-violates-any-copyri)
If you want proper legal advice speak to a lawyer.

However, as far as I know copyright isn't a big issue with titles for games, especially when it clashes with something that's not a game. Trademarks are something you should avoid though.

However if you want people to be able to find your game on a search engine, having a name that hasn't already been used for something well known is probably a good idea, and that should also keep you safe from any legal issues.