All trademarks, company names, registered names, products, characters, mottos, logos, jingles and catchphrases used or cited in this work are the property of their respective owners and have only been mentioned and/or used as cultural references to enhance the narrative and in no way were used to disparage or harm the owners and their companies. It is the author’s sincerest wish the owners of the cited trademarks, company names, etc. appreciate the success they have achieved in making their products household names and appreciate the free plug.
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Kind of sad someone would feel a need to post this type of disclaimer. Especially since it’s absolutely worthless.
When I’m editing or proofreading, one of the tasks on my list is to check every single usage of trademarks and product names. If the product name is trademarked, I check to make sure it’s spelled and used correctly. In many cases I will inform the author that they are better off using a generic rather than having a character say, “I’ll have a Coca Cola(TM) brand soft drink, please.”
Some companies are especially stinky about the use of trade names and are super aggressive in protecting their property. And there is money to be had when trolls go in search of violations. So, due diligence is what writers need, not hopeful disclaimers.