Question
I have another question about copyright. When submitting scripts or storylines to agents and media companies, is there any recourse against having the general idea / characters taken and given to someone else to develop? For example, if a company likes the general concept but wants a more experienced team of writers to develop it. I am guessing this is a grey area and difficult to address but are there any basic steps a new writer should take?
Answers: 1 public & 0 private
Media law has evolved to handle precisely these concerns which is why major studios don't accept external unsolicited scripts in case it contaminates existing inhouse storylines. There has been numerous lawsuits about closely related concepts that authors claimed were plagerised and it is a finding based on the facts whether it is held to infringe. In the creative industry, tropes and themes are reused with high degree of variations so sometimes hard to define something which is unique, much less memorable. My suggestion, find an agent who knows the reputable players in your industry.
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