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Copyrights and Ideas - advice needed
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
One of my ambitions is to one day write a book or screenplay. For years I've had one particular idea which I have often thought about. Now I find that someone has beaten me to it and a film with a very similair story has been made.
I'm devastated but I guess this kind of thing is common and at least my is still unwritten but what would you do in this situation. Write it anyway and try and change details or scrap the idea and start again?
The idea of pitting in all that effort and being sued for copyright also concerns me.
I'm devastated but I guess this kind of thing is common and at least my is still unwritten but what would you do in this situation. Write it anyway and try and change details or scrap the idea and start again?
The idea of pitting in all that effort and being sued for copyright also concerns me.
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Comments
However it will depend on how close it is - but really you should be fine as long as you don't actually nick anything. The hard thing will be if you start to alter your idea to reflect something that might be better in the other version...
I know how hard it is writting. I first used this place to learn how to type ...i've gotten good enogh now. I have also used this place to bounce a few ideas about ...been very useful. Mine tyhough is almost my life story but ...it is a life story of half a dozen people realy. it's 90% true.
I have been picking this thing up and dropping it over and over for nearly twenty years. I was actualy asked to write this stuff ...and encourasged by a number of proffesionals. I'm getting there.
The hardest thing i would think would be for you to drop it and start something afresh. Ideas and inspiration can't just be turned on like a tap.
Go for it ...making whatever changes you have to ...and those changes in themselves may inspire you.
So far so good but then my research throws up this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Eye_%282008_film%29
which is essentially the same idea.
I could make changes I suppose but I've been gutted since I discovered this film, as its a remake I'm also wondering whether I read a review of the original when it was released in 2002 and have kept the idea in my subconcious. I do admit I cannot remember where I first found out about cellular memory or even when.
Does it actually even matter? They do say there are only a certain amount of original stories after all.
The point isn't to say you shouldn't do it - but to point out the idea is so generic that you've nothing to worry about - it's about the same as saying I saw a film with an assassination of the president, or zombies that come back alive.
You want to do it, just do it well and own it and you're fine.
Thanks for the reassurance. I guess once you start looking at ideas its inevitable you are not the first. This is not the first time I've found this, I used to be a big fan of Sgt Rock comics as a kid, inspired by this and the XTC song, I used to daydream about being able to call on my comic heroes in times of trouble. Then I thought what a great idea for a story and then years later:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107362/
As I said, you want to write just plug away at it - even if it was really close to someone else's idea at least you'd have learnt and moved forward by the experience of writing it.
I have been in the same position. I had thought out the plot and then, checking to see if the title I had come up with might already be out there, found a story that was very similar to mine - and with the same title!!! :mad: I suppose I could have rewritten it to be quite different, but it did knock the wind out of my sails.
On a positive note, I am now developing a story for which NO book I can find exists on the characters I am creating (certainly not in English, Western literature).
Perhaps we can swap invites for our respective premiers one day?
Definitely! I'll have my agent talk to yours :thumb:
I was really pissed of when some blonde wrote it first...
Honestly
Don't worry, the story sounds weak, can't see it selling