Hey, I don't know if this thread is meant to be here, but anyway i will ask my question.
If I send in some of a piece of writing that I am still working on, to find out what it's like, can anything be done to protect it from people stealing it? Or should I just not bother sending it in?
Thread: Copyright question
This question should have been be asked in the Writers Guild and will be moved there when we can.
Mean while, I'll provide my take on the subject: Anything you post or email becomes subject to purloining by persons unknown as the internet is not secure. That said, we would frown on anyone who plagiarized another member's writing and they could lose their privileges were they also a member here. I have know idea of the legal ramifications. Anyone else actually know?
Mean while, I'll provide my take on the subject: Anything you post or email becomes subject to purloining by persons unknown as the internet is not secure. That said, we would frown on anyone who plagiarized another member's writing and they could lose their privileges were they also a member here. I have know idea of the legal ramifications. Anyone else actually know?
As far as i know it's fair game, until it's copyrighted. That being said although it still would be plagiarizing someone's else's work, if it's not copyrighted, it's not illegal.
Yes, so i'd give this advice to all fan fiction writers : just make your stories bad enough so that no one feels the urge to plagiarize it !
From what i've been reading in here, you're doing fine... ;-)
From what i've been reading in here, you're doing fine... ;-)
Under International Copywrite laws (which most of the world excluding the USA signed up to), anything that anyone writes is protected by copywrite. This includes anything from novels, short stories, essays, and even letters. Generally the author of the writing owns that copywrite, but that is not always the case (eg. if he/she has been paid by someone else to write the piece in the first place etc.) To be protected the article must just display the copywrite (C) symbol, the date it was written, and the owner of the copywrite. If you look on the front page of any book, you should see this information.
Unfortunately, owning a copywrite is easier than proving ownership of it. The best way of doing that is to be able to prove you owned the story before anyone else. There are several ways of doing this, some cheaper than others. Before letting anyone else have the story either,
1) In the presence of a solicitor, have the story sealed and dated in an envelope, which the solicitor then keeps until the time proof of ownership may be required.
2) Do the same thing with a bank. The date on the receipt acts as proof.
3) Send the story to yourself by recorded mail, again keep the receipt as proof of date, and never open the envelope until you are in a courtroom proving ownership.
If anyone else then steals your story, claiming they wrote it, you will be able to prove you had a copy of that story before they did.
I'm unsure whether the concept/idea of a story can be copywrited, however.
Hope that is of some use to you.
Unfortunately, owning a copywrite is easier than proving ownership of it. The best way of doing that is to be able to prove you owned the story before anyone else. There are several ways of doing this, some cheaper than others. Before letting anyone else have the story either,
1) In the presence of a solicitor, have the story sealed and dated in an envelope, which the solicitor then keeps until the time proof of ownership may be required.
2) Do the same thing with a bank. The date on the receipt acts as proof.
3) Send the story to yourself by recorded mail, again keep the receipt as proof of date, and never open the envelope until you are in a courtroom proving ownership.
If anyone else then steals your story, claiming they wrote it, you will be able to prove you had a copy of that story before they did.
I'm unsure whether the concept/idea of a story can be copywrited, however.
Hope that is of some use to you.
thanks, i wasn't sure about it, but it seems to be a lot of trouble for it, I guess i could just wait and find someone I can trust and then send it through to them, I think that'll work, or I could just send a kind of blurb sort of thing. And maybe a couple of selected chapters.
Thanks anyway
Thanks anyway
It could happen, but I doubt it would. And it hasn't happened yet has it, O older members?
Oh, that was cruel....
Quote:
Yes, so i'd give this advice to all fan fiction writers : just make your stories bad enough so that no one feels the urge to plagiarize it !
From what i've been reading in here, you're doing fine... ;-)
Yes, so i'd give this advice to all fan fiction writers : just make your stories bad enough so that no one feels the urge to plagiarize it !
From what i've been reading in here, you're doing fine... ;-)
Oh, that was cruel....
yes, thank you Loni. I was going to ignore it, but then I realized that seeing as I am trying to follow in Virumor's footsteps, well, what does that say about him!!
