Ideas are not copyrightable right?

Question

Ideas are not copyrightable right? Then why do I see some people suing people saying an Idea for a movie or TV show what their idea?

Answer 1

Well copyright is a quirky thing - and possibly varies a bit from Country to Country. In the UK, copyright is automatic - if you throw some paint at a bit of paper and then ideally sign./date it, the copyright of your splodge is yours.

Defending it is another matter.

I would be VERY interested to see anyone being sued over COPYRIGHT for what you have described.

I *CAN* see where perhaps someone has signed a document of non-disclosure or has been otherwise privileged to some thing - and have then tried to capitalize on the idea / information being sued.

IF you mean someone has copied a show's format - eg: a fake "Big Brother", then this might come up under "passing off" or in the case of a book / film, plagiarism. A movie / book however is a great deal more than just "an idea" - it is somethingh with substance.

Answer 2

There is a legal standard for exactly how much of the idea must be different. It isn't as cut and dried as "ideas can't be copyrighted." There are other factors. Was the idea written down in some form? How detailed is the idea? Was it relayed to the person who eventually profited from it, and if so, was there any understanding of partnership between the two parties?

Copyright law isn't that simple.

And, everyone, please: the word is "copyrighted," not "copywritten." It's not a "copywrite," it's a "copyright."

Answer 3

Some ideas are... some aren't. It depends in each particular case whether or not it can be copyrighted. Generally movie ideas are not "copyrighted" but there are ways of preserving them not the least of which is keeping them confidential. Studios "buy rights" to ideas all the time.

Answer 4

They sue if they can prove, for example, that the person copied a song or book or something they submitted to the other person, like in a contest or they just sent it to them out of the blue. That's why a lot of people won't look at unsolicited songs or material people send them. The person suing has to show that the defendant saw or read their material. There are a lot of nuisance suits in this category, since many artists are willing to settle rather than being tied up in court. Someone sued Billy Joel, saying he stole the song "My Life" from them, and he settled out of court for $50,000.

Answer 5

Expressions are copyrightable. They way you painted a picture, the way you wrote a book etc. So if a story is too close to someone elses expression of an idea, they can sue.

Ideas can be patented.

The law suit you are referring to doe

Answer 6

These people who are suing probably submitted their idea *in writing* to a studio. That writing would be copyrightable.

Answer 7

An idea can definitely be considered intellectual property but cannot be copywritten as it is not tangible. If the idea is in writing, it can be copywritten as it is then tangible.

Answer 8

it's plagiarism and that's against the law... taking what someone else says and claiming that you said it is against the law... and many punishments can be quite severe especially at educational institutions...