how to defend ideas

Barry_Green said:
Here's one where Time Warner was sued for stealing the idea out of a screenplay and turning it into "Six Feet Under"; Time Warner won. And this is highly relevant; the author gave the screenplay to her chiropractor, who offered to give it to the head of HBO for consideration. Three months later, HBO launches "Six Feet Under." But -- and here's the big thing -- they didn't steal the author's screenplay. They developed a series which is quite similar to the central ideas in the author's screenplay. The district court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held that they weren't similar enough to warrant the plaintiff's claims.


As for cases that are still before the courts, here's one to watch to see how it turns out:
http://famewatcher.com/2009/02/robert-cabell-vs-adam-sandler-sony-and.html

Another one, not about movies but still about ideas:
http://www.popcrunch.com/elisabeth-hasselback-sued-for-stealing-book-idea-the-g-free-diet/

Another one in progress, Adam Sandler being sued for stealing the idea to Zohan:
http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuit.asp?id=44448

Mark Burnett being sued for stealing the idea to "The Apprentice":
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_apprentice_2/2004_Sep_17_lawsuit

Kate Hudson being sued for stealing the idea of making hair care products from volcanic ash:
http://www.schwimmerlegal.com/2008/09/kate_hudson_get.html

Chris Rock being sued for stealing the "Good Hair" idea for his doc:
http://newsone.com/entertainment/ch...ion-accused-of-stealing-good-hair-movie-idea/

Hollywood suing Bollywood for plagiarism and stealing ideas:
http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php...ues_bollywood_but_is_stealing_a_2_way_street/

Facebook founder sued for stealing the idea of his social networking site:
http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php...ues_bollywood_but_is_stealing_a_2_way_street/

Electronic Arts being sued for stealing game ideas:
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/sports/maddennfl2006/news.html?sid=6140734

Disney being sued for stealing the idea to "Hannah Montana":
http://www.tvsquad.com/2007/08/24/hannah-montana-show-not-girl-sued/

Fox being sued for stealing the idea to "Prison Break":
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4181/is_20061024/ai_n16849547/

Tyler Perry being sued for stealing "Diary of a Mad Black Woman":
http://filmdrunk.uproxx.com/2008/12/tyler-perry-stole-the-idea-for-black-women

Sony being sued over stealing the ideas in the God of War video games:
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-and-jaffe-sued-over-god-of-war


So, look -- there are three ways that we can look at this:
1) Hollywood and authors and producers and videogame makers and bloggers and columnists are all a bunch of rampant idea-stealing thieves, and that's why they're getting sued so much;

2) Hollywood et al are all innocent, and a bunch of delusional bloodsucking leeches are ready to pounce on any work that shows any sort of box office return;

or

3) Ideas exist. Many people have them. When an idea pops in the universe, it pops into more than one head. Lots and lots of people have the same idea at the same time. When an idea's time has come, it has come.


Frankly, I think all three have elements of truth. There are unquestionably greedy leeches out there willing to pounce on any success (but that does not make all these lawsuits without merit!) I think there are definitely idea-stealing thieves (but that does not mean all these lawsuits have merit!) And there are definitely cases of multiple people having the same idea, without ever contacting each other. In Robert McKee's Story seminar, he makes the point pretty clearly -- ideas are a dime a dozen, everyone has 'em, and lots of people have yours; he told us a story of a hollywood reader who said "If I ever have to see one more script about them cloning Jesus from the Shroud of Turin, I'll scream!" Yet, you just know that if anyone makes a movie with that premise, the lawsuits will come out of the woodwork.

So the moral of the story is: people are going to steal your idea. Or, they already have the same idea and are going to develop it on their own. So if you have this "great idea", you'd better get to work now, because you can just bet that the race is already on.
Click to expand...

HOLY SQUAT!

I totally want to see that movie about cloning Jesus. That would be so kick ass.

"The Second Coming is Here, and It's All Our Fault."

Clothman Clone!

A.C.C.

Zing! ;)
 
This is turning into a thread hijack. We better stop...

Wait a sec... Thread Hijack: Eye of the Needle

The story of two German WWII seamstresses, who fight the Nazi's by sewing secret messages
into the shirts of allied spies. A perfect plan, till their supply of thread is stolen...

Copyright Peter Reynolds 2009. All rights reserved

.
 
Hm. But back to the OP -- yes, treat any idea or script you may have with the same care protection an inventor treats his inventions. Just because you're doing something artistic doesn't mean you shouldn't apply the same level of value to it.
 
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