Fictional companies are often used in film, television books and comics where copyright or the likely chance of being prosecuted exists from using the name of a real company. They may be used on television in countries where the use of real company names or trademarks is prohibited in dramatic presentations to avoid the possibility of product placement. An example of a generic fictional company is the Acme Corporation.
Often, when a fictional company is used, it will be a parody of a real world counterpart, which would avoid any unwanted legal issues.
In other cases fictional brands have been carried across multiple series and even from movies to TV. Oceanic Airlines first appeared in the 1996 movie Executive Decision and has been seen in multiple series and films, including its high-profile place in Lost.
Other times a fictional corporation is an in-joke carried across multiple products by the same games developer, director, or writer. The Ultor Mining Corporation, for instance, shows up in several video games from Volition including their modern-day Saint's Row series and the science fiction Red Faction series. Similarly Big Kahuna Burger fast food franchises have received at least a passing mention in several Quentin Tarantino movies.