History Main / ThisIsAWorkOfFiction

* Creator/ABSCBN was [[https://entertainment.inquirer.net/264615/bagani-teleseryes-misuse-of-term-distorts-misleads-and-confuses-filipino-viewers-says-ip-commission forced]] to put up the following disclaimer in the Filipino fantasy series ''Series/{{Bagani}}'' in response to UnfortunateImplications with historical societies and indigenous groups, who took offense at what they deemed to be a misrepresentation of their tribes and the use of the term "Bagani" on a FantasyCounterpartCulture heavily based on pre-colonial Philippine societies:

** Played straight in ''VisualNovel/NewDanganRonpav3'', which uses a normal example when you boot up the game, albeit an unusual one since no previous game or anime entry in the franchise used it straight before (the Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery scenario above not-withstanding). [[spoiler: Becomes a rather [[FridgeHorror dark]] peice of Foreshadowing for the final trial, where the message is made quite literal.]]

* ''Louisiana Purchase'' devotes an entire OpeningChorus to a disclaimer explaining that everything in the show is "mythical," including the state of Louisiana.

* Every episode of UnsolvedMysteries started out with a warning in (first) an ominous male voice, and on the [[LifetimeMovieOfTheWeek Lifetime]] broadcasts, an equally ominous female voice:

* The roleplaying game ''TabletopGame/{{Nephilim}}'' has an interesting disclaimer. One page reads, in all caps, "THIS GAME IS NOT REAL."
The next page reads, again in all caps, "YOU ARE."

** The default disclaimer is a less funny "This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader
discretion is advised."

* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'' is set in a "[[MedievalEuropeanFantasy Mythic Europe]]" where, among other things, divine and infernal forces from the Abrahamic religions are demonstrably real and active. In older editions, the books detailing things like the nature of {{Hell}}, the disposition of souls, and the supernatural power of faith have disclaimers that the content is for roleplaying purposes only and its resemblances to real-world beliefs are coincidental.

* The roleplaying game ''TabletopGame/{{Nephilim}}'' has an interesting disclaimer. One page reads, in all caps, "THIS GAME IS NOT REAL." The next page reads, again in all caps, "YOU ARE."
* All of the ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' games had funny disclaimers at the beginning of their books to ward off the SatanicPanic accusations along the lines of "You are not a vampire and if there really was a secret society of vampires, someone would have noticed by now.
* For the TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness:
** The default disclaimer is a less funny "This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes.
All mystical and supernatural elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. This book contains mature content. Reader

[[/folder]]

** ''Porky's Building'' opens with a disclaimer saying that the similarities to actual persons and events is definitely intended ("If you think we're going to sit around for days thinking up new ideas - you're pixelated!").

* The ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunes'' cartoon "Rocket Squad," a homage to {{Franchise/Dragnet}}, had the following disclaimer: ''The story you are about to see is true. The drawings have been changed to protect the innocent.''
** "Daffy Duck and Egghead" opens with a foreword stating that the ducks depicted are fictitious, and any ducks seen in the picture, "living or roasted, are purely coincidental."
** "WesternAnimation/PorkyPigsFeat" has "Any resemblance between this hotel and real hotels, living or dead, is coincidental."

* The roleplaying game TabletopGame/{{Nephilim}} has an interesting disclaimer. One page reads, in all caps, "THIS GAME IS NOT REAL." The next page reads, again in all caps, "YOU ARE."
* All of the TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness games had funny disclaimers at the beginning of their books to ward off the SatanicPanic accusations along the lines of "You are not a vampire and if there really was a secret society of vampires, someone would have noticed by now.
** The TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness disclaimers were less funny "This book uses the supernatural for settings, characters and themes.

Some form of this disclaimer can be found at the front of nearly every novel out there as well as in the credits of most films and TV episodes. It's an attempt to stave off libel suits; it seems to have originated as a response to a suit against the makers of the 1932 film ''Rasputin and the Empress'' by a Russian princess who believed one of the characters to have been modeled on her.[[note]] [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Yusupov More precisely Princess Irina of Russia, the only niece of the last tsar, who was married to Rasputin's murderer, Prince Felix Yusupov]] [[/note]] Think of it as the more professional equivalent of IDoNotOwn, though with more legal force.[[note]]IDoNotOwn admits that the characters, etc. portrayed are someone else's intellectual property and used without permission: it's basically saying "It's Main/FairUse because I don't pretend it's mine" and it doesn't do much legally. This trope has nothing to do with intellectual property, and it's basically saying "if some of this seems RippedFromTheHeadlines, it wasn't intentional", so it has more legal significance.[[/note]]

* The in-game description for the Dancing Zombie from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' says, "Any resemblance between Dancing Zombie and persons living or dead is purely coincidental." This is probably a joke, since the zombie is obviously [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed based on]] Creator/MichaelJackson in his zombie-themed ''Music/{{Thriller}}'' music video. Or at least it was, until the ''real'' Michael Jackson [[FunnyAneurysmMoment died]] a month after the game's release. As a result, the Dancing Zombie was redesigned into a more generic DiscoDan. The disclaimer is still there, though.

* Due to the crazy and unfair court system used in ''Franchise/AceAttorney'', the Western version of the game manual contains a disclaimer to the effect of "This game's court system was invented for entertainment purposes and is not intended to resemble any real court system." Despite this, it is, in fact, based on the former Japanese court system -- the disclaimer in that region reads more like "This game's court system is based on reality, but is exaggerated for entertainment purposes and not intended to be a perfect recreation".

* The in-game description for the Dancing Zombie from ''VideoGame/PlantsVsZombies'' says, "Any resemblance between Dancing Zombie and persons living or dead is purely coincidental." This is probably a joke, since the zombie is obviously [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed based on]] Creator/MichaelJackson in his zombie-themed ''Music/Thriller'' music video. Or at least it was, until the ''real'' Michael Jackson [[FunnyAneurysmMoment died]] a month after the game's release. As a result, the Dancing Zombie was redesigned into a more generic DiscoDan. The disclaimer is still there, though.

** "Porky Pig's Feat" has "Any resemblance between this hotel and real hotels, living or dead, is coincidental."

Do not confuse with the... [[http://armorgames.com/play/11103/this-is-a-work-of-fiction unusual game]] which shares a name with this trope.

** ''VideoGame/Persona5'' plays with this by not only including the disclaimer, but making the player agree to it before starting a new game. If you don't, you get sent back to the start screen. [[spoiler:The message takes on a sinister new meaning with some of the end game reveals by making it clear that the BigBad is the one voicing the message and by accepting, [[TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou the players accepts to reject the existence of the Phantom Thief's]]]].

-->"All characters in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The earth is flat." \
was quite clearly meant to {{lampshade}} tenuous nature of such disclaimers, but it [[MisaimedFandom brought him an invitation]] to join The Flat Earth Society of Canada.[[note]]Which he joined. ([[DontExplainTheJoke It was actually a parodist organisation.]])[[/note]]

-->"All characters in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. The earth is flat.''
::- was quite clearly meant to {{lampshade}} tenuous nature of such disclaimers, but it [[MisaimedFandom brought him an invitation]] to join The Flat Earth Society of Canada.[[note]]Which he joined. ([[DontExplainTheJoke It was actually a parodist organisation.]])[[/note]]

* One such disclaimer is presented at the start of ''VideoGame/Persona5'', though you're given the choice of whether or not to believe it. If you refuse to accept it, [[ButThouMust you're judged unworthy of playing the game and booted back to the start screen.]]

* ''VideoGame/Persona5'' plays with this by not only including the disclaimer, but making the player agree to it before starting a new game. If you don't, you get sent back to the start screen.