Fictional companies are often used in film or television 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.
The trend to use fictional companies started with fictional airline companies, as in action films, where the action centers on problems on the flight or the aircraft, the film could discourage possible customers from flying with a particular airline.
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 (such as Lost's Oceanic Airlines) fictional brands have been carried across multiple series and even from movies to TV. Oceanic 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 Ulthor 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 every Quentin Tarantino movie.