Randoman Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 So lately, I've been dabbling into the world of story writing. Well, maybe it's more than dabbling seeing how I've got basic drawings for 7 main characters for my story, 3 episodes fully typed up with each episode script being 16-17 pages long, season 1 of my story idea heavily planned out, I've got the ridiculous notion that I'll hopefully be able to submit my completed season 1 script to an animation company someday and have it turned into a TV/web series, and characters and basic story outlines for season 2 and 3 planned. Anyways, I hear that people online stealing the stories of others is quite the issue, and before I even post things online for critiquing and feedback, I want to know what precautions and measures I should take so that I can prove to story/art thieves that I am the rightful owner and win any disputes as to who is the original writer/artist/owner of the content. So what would you guys recommend I do in regards to making solid proof of me being the rightful owner/creator to my story/art? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hanes Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 (edited) Copyright it and maybe put a big watermark on your document that says your name, make sure the watermark is as obstructive as possible while being readable. Edited June 29, 2018 by This boi uses Nino Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Re: The weirdo. Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 maybe the power of friendship or something, i dunno. there might be a chance that the company just rips off your idea, so don't give them the completed script till you sign a deal? i dunno. not versed in laws and stuff. though i am cynical, so maybe there's something there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Karnage Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 no matter what you do, as long as you have undenyable proof that you posted it first you will always be known and have proof that it's your OC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DisobeyedCargo Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 can I see the full story? in al seriousness, copyright and cautiousness are probably your best bet. Make sure to check out al the laws so you can get screwed over by them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ertrick36 Posted June 29, 2018 Share Posted June 29, 2018 Sign contracts with companies if you hand your creative material to them and make sure you have a lawyer by your side so that you're protected and know what you're getting yourself into with said contracts. And if any of those companies do steal your shit, make sure you sue them and go through with it; don't accept a deal with them to get out of the lawsuit, because then they can technically still do whatever they want with your material since you didn't fully enforce its protection. If you win this kind of lawsuit, it'll send a message that your content is not to be trifled with. Lawsuits can be long and stressful, but you may only ever need to go through one of them if you do it right. If posting on the internet, you should have absolute proof that the content you wrote is yours. Typically there are timestamps on forums and blogs so if you post in either, people will know exactly when the content was posted, but just to be on the safe side maybe place a signature or watermark on it and put your name and contact info (even just an email or username) on it, along with your own timestamp. And be sure to tell people not to repost without your permission to avoid misunderstandings. If you find out about someone stealing/reposting your work, follow up on it. Be sure to act polite when you do so; if you get angry and start cursing them, things can go wrong. Ask them to take down the content. If they don't respond or take it down after a certain amount of time, contact the site admins and let them know the situation (be sure to link them to the original source so that they know it's stolen). Basically, be very prudent about making sure people know you were the one who created the content, and don't hand any of it over to any corporations unless you have signed a contract and understand fully what that contract entails for you and the company. Be the master of your own work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reality Posted June 30, 2018 Share Posted June 30, 2018 (edited) Honestly, I think you are just being paranoid (probbably due to your inexperience as you say). A properly sent out Spec Script is generally safe in the vast majority of cases. If you are really concerned, you can go to any library and look for the writer's market (reference book... no checking out) .. pretty much any edition from the last 10 years will have a copious "getting started" section, which should tell you what you need to know in more detail than you even truly need Edited June 30, 2018 by Reality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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