Are there any legal restrictions on using the actual names of famous people in a historical novel?

I am writing a novel that contains spy elements. Although the plot is based in the near future, it alludes to recent past historical events. Specifically, it discusses the 1985 'Year of the Spy' and its implications. Mole hunts resulted in the arrest of many of our own officials and case officers. Both the CIA and FBI had been infiltrated at the highest levels by double agents. Deep moles sacrificed lower placed agents in order to continue their treacherous usefulness to the Soviet Union. I discuss one in particular, Edward Lee Howard, who is the only known American to work for both the CIA and KGB. His defection to Russia and mysterious death are themselves worthy of a novel. At one point, Clinton planned to have the CIA abduct him using an editor, who was also a CIA analyst, help Howard prepare his own biography that was later published. Howard was reported to have died in 2002 in Russia under very mysterious circumstances but his body was never recovered. Are their any legal restrictions in mentioning famous historical persons or is the author forced to fictional the name and actual historical facts to prevent being sued?

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1985:_The_Year_of_the_Spy
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Lee_Howard
• https://muse.jhu.edu/book/41073

posted almost 8 years ago

CC BY-SA 3.0

Richard Stanzak‭

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