Screenwriting : Ideas/collaborations by John MacNeil

How I would approach it, is offer a sample of the work, or the idea and once you make contact with an interested party or parties, then just email a simple contract that this is a shared idea or that it is your creation and that they recognize that it is your creation. I like a signed document and you can get it notarized. But that is difficult to do across state borders. I keep a file of documents sent. that in itself is a cookie trail Legally I don't know how solid this is, but it gives you some record to back up your claim and you can do 'poor man' copyright where you send it to yourself registered mail where you have to sign for it. I heard it does and that it doesn't, but still is a form of record that can be presented in testimony that it is your own creation. Gavion E. Chandler~ 'Man is his own devil.'

You would thing in this digital age there would be easier ways to prove an idea was yours via simple email dated etc..I guess it just sucks that you can't openly express ideas and work together with one or a few people to take what may be a simple idea and make it viable..

you can, just because you share an idea, doesn't mean you can't do it, or someone else might take it from another angle, It is sort of like the 'idea of God' what God is to one person, even those of the same faith, is entirely different to another. Same thing with an idea. It is a concept of perspective and how each individual approaches it from an artistic perspective will create entirely different creation. You can't copyright an idea, only your take on it and the artistic creation that came from your labor and pains to make it happen. Gavion E. Chandler~ 'Man is his own devil.'

I would advise against registering with the WGA, use the library of congress (LOC).

use log lines and treatments to converse on a topic of interest with other parties and you will find folks trustworthy enough to develop your idea! Besides, you can't copyright or trademark an "idea"... You can register a technology concept but even that is open for interpretation how "protected" it is... additionally.... unless you let it out, how do you develop it. you can work on it all by yourself and Once you have a tangible version of work you can copyright that but unless you live in a vacuum, you will want to have people involved in the development process. Just my 2 cents!

Interesting, what is your reasoning?

reasoning for what?

i was referring to Marvin's statement

I am not worried about my ideas, btw, I was more interested in how others felt on the subject. I love to shoot ideas out there and see what develops..

oh, okay, sorry. I misunderstood.

@ John don't worry about what others think or don't think about your ideas.. just put them out there and see if anything comes of it.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the incite you all bring to the topic at hand...

WGA offers you zero protection. It's a registration process, not a copyright service. LOC is copyright and offers damage protection and you can sue for all your costs. Brian is correct. You can only protect your written interpretation of an idea. You would also have to show that the third party had "Access" to your script, so keep as much of a paper trail as possible.

Thanks for the info Marvin.

I only worried about it until it happened to me. But their version sucked. They had none of my talents to make it a success. Their story was slow and flat. Their characters were shallow. Their dialogue dragged. Their humour was predictable and sight gags were non-existant. My version started a little later allowing for punches of interest in the visuals that explained the past. My villain evoked sympathy, my hero wasn't perfect. My dialogue was natural but sharp and minimal. And my humour was fresh. But as an industry newbie, nobody wanted to gamble on me. Ideas are a dime a dozen. I can make a story out of anything. You need to pride yourself on the execution and no one can touch your work even if they steal your ideas. Ironically, mine may someday be the 'remake' that beats the original.

What was the "Original", Marisa?

Thanks again for the input, I believe it all comes down to developing a great story and covering your bases as best you can. I know there are friends of mine now fighting big companies over stolen material, and plenty of proof. It will all come down to who can prove what and who has more money and power...all you can do is keep moving forward!

Lol, I was reading that too..