Idea stealing

[Anonymous Author]

This may be a disturbing post, but I need to get something off my chest.

I am a published novelist, but lately, I have been troubled over some actions I did in the past. Namely, the fact that I pitched my million-dollar idea in front of a bunch of students at NYU. The reasons why I did this were mainly as follows:

1. Someone broke into my home and stole copies of my work, so I was trying to get witnesses to protect it in addition to the copyright registration.
2. I figured I may as well network at NYU, since it is a prestigious school and a lot of these kids have powerful parents.
3. I was stressed out and I really needed someone to give me feedback.
4. I didn't realize that all I had to do to protect it was send it out to production companies and publishers, even though the book wasn't yet perfect at the time.

After I pitched it in numerous classes, various students ended up hating me for my beliefs and could easily steal the idea. Not to mention the fact that none of the other students would have taken time out of their busy lives to testify for me should a thing have occurred.

A stupider thing I did was not sending out query letters immediately after I realized the idea was in severe danger, because I thought I should wait until the script was perfect. Instead, I waited until I had the perfect script, which was more than a year later.

In the end, I won. The idea is now published and mine to claim forever. In fact, it is being produced into a movie and gotten me a lot of high-paying jobs. However, I am still disturbed by how easily it could have fallen into the hands of those disgusting people. I can't help but shake the feeling that I won only because of luck that my stupid, self-destructive actions didn't cost me my life's work.

I know most people here will either ignore me or call me a loser, but I just needed to get this off my chest so I can write without it pestering me. I still don't understand how I could have been that dumb. I could have lost everything and been considered a loser by the writing community.

Can anyone offer me any feedback, positive or negative?

[Mark Anderson]

Well, since it's out there, being made into a movie,and safe, just what is your completely original million-dollar idea?I wasn't actually aware that a plot idea could be claimed forever...or that there were that many original ones left. Now I'm curious!

[Jamesaritchie]

Having students hate you because of your beliefs, particularly when those beliefs were in the form of a book, sounds a bit weird. The rest of your post concerns things I worry about not at all.

Nor do I understand just who you're calling disgusting people, or why you feel this way? Are you talking about those who hated you for your beliefs? That's an odd reaction.

I never register anything, nor do I know a professional writer who does. What's the point?

I certainly never, ever, under any circumstances, submit anything anywhere until I think it's ready. I'd never send out a book or script that wasn't ready just because I was afraid someone would steal the idea.

I talk about my ideas to anyone who'll listen. I don't believe there is such a thing as a million dollar idea, or even a ten cent idea. The only thing that really makes any idea worthwhile is how well that idea is turned into a book or a movie. Anyone who wants my ideas has only to ask. I have a million of them, and not one is worth a dime until talent and skill turn it into something people want to buy. Even then it isn't worth anything until someone actually shells out money for it.

Give a dozen writers exactly the same idea and you'll get back twelve very different books/movies in return. In fact, doing this used to be a fairly common stunt in SF circles.

In my experience, unpublished work is never worth stealing. Neither is most published work, for that matter.

I think your worries are completely unfounded, and a bit on the paranoid side. It's usually unpublished writers who have no experience in the publishing world who worry about their work being stolen. Especially when it comes to ideas.
This paranoia is normal for those who haven't been around publishing much, but it's needless.

The sad truth is that ideas are a dime a million, none of them are worth anything until talent and skill turn them into something, and no one really wants your ideas or your work, and almost certainly couldn't do anything with you ideas if you paid them.

[aka eraser]

I'm stealing this idea and writing a book about it.

[pepperlandgirl]

This may be a disturbing post, but I need to get something off my chest.



I found it disturbing, but only because I expect a published author to tell a more coherent story. Honestly, I have no idea what the heck you're talking about.

Did the students hate you because of other beliefs or the beliefs espoused in the book/script/whatever?

Were you a student or a professor?

Do you honestly believe your idea is so original that nobody else could think of it? Shakespeare probably did it, and did it better. (I actually find that thought rather comforting. I sit down and say "Right, which Shakespeare play will I rip off today?")

And what do you want from us? Is this a cautionary tale and we're supposed to take heed? Offer you comfort? Say, "Well...that's a story..." and go to the next thread? Excuse the snarkiness of the post in general, but I can't muster an appropriate emotion because I really don't know what you wanted from us.

So, in conclusion, good luck with the upcoming movie and future projects and I hope that you don't lose anymore sleep over this. You're fine now, everything is fine.

[zeprosnepsid]

Yeah, I'm confused about this post. It's not about the idea, it's about how you do it. If someone stole George Lucas' idea for Star Wars in the 70s and made a rip-off film would it have made Star Wars any less successful? I doubt it. I can't think of any movie or novel that stands on its idea alone (oh wait, I take that back, perhaps the Da Vinci Code, but it was not the first, second or third book to write about that idea).

Ideas are recycled all the time, it's how you use it. I mean I have one gimmick idea that I'm holding on to that someone could steal and then it'd be less novel if I did it. But it's a gimmick, so it's really only a matter of time until someone uses is. And if I could use it better, it's not a matter of being first.

I have a friend who writes great high concept scripts. But his ideas are always being 'stolen' in that other people also have them. They're high concept, anyone could come up with them. But as long as his are better.

Also, 'stealing' ideas in the movie industry, if it's a script your talking about, it common place. Tarantino doesn't have an original idea in his body, he takes from others. So does De Palma -- so what?

But anyway, I'm confused by this 'anonymous author' who would come here and make this his first post. And put it in novels when it seems like he/she may be writing about a screenplay. It seems a little odd to me.

[Sheryl Nantus]

totally confusing.

maybe you need to flesh out your tale a bit more before anyone here can actually respond to it.

although I'm curious as to why anyone would break into your home - have you discovered a way to do cheap cold fusion?

:Ssh:

[Jamesaritchie]

I sit down and say "Right, which Shakespeare play will I rip off today?")



I do exactly the same thing. And just for fun, I'll also occasionally open a TV guide, read all those little plot synopses, find one for a TV show or movie I've never seen, and use it to write something. It's fun, and the resulting piece never bears any relationship to the actual TV show or movie I "stole" the idea from.

[pixiejuice]

I'm stealing this idea and writing a book about it.
Ha! That made me laugh out loud, I swear! I want to read the book when it's done :)

[Anonymous Author]

This is a complex issue. To clarify the confusion:

I was a student. People hated my opinions and were also racist toward my ethnic group. My idea is one of those high concept ideas that would be less novel if anyone else did it before me, which is why I don't understand why the hell I would go around pitching it to NYU students instead of sending it out to producers and editors.

Also, it is a novel and a screenplay.

I can't tell you what my book is otherwise you'd know who I am and I'd prefer to be anonymous in this case.

Yes, I am looking for comfort, but not begging for it. I welcome negative responses.

Eraser, you can write about this idea because it's not something people will shell out money to see.

[BlueTexas]

Eraser, you can write about this idea because it's not something people will shell out money to see.

Well, if he does it right, people will shell out money to see it, or read it. And I think that's what everyone is saying. It's not the idea, it's what you do with it, and I don't think there's a new idea left on the planet, personally.

[Birol]

Eraser, you can write about this idea because it's not something people will shell out money to see.

Then how is it a million dollar idea?

[rich]

C'mon, you've written enough to let us know that you're full of shit.

Odd stuff, but I thought this was funny and coincidental. Somebody on some other topic mentioned that a lot of stuff that they've published show up on the net when he/she published it in the exact wording used. I tried one phrase that I used, and it showed up. The author was Anonymous Author.

include you within that pool of wayward guppies.

[Susan Gable]

This may be a disturbing post, but I need to get something off my chest.
I am a published novelist, but lately, I have been troubled over some actions I did in the past. Namely, the fact that I pitched my million-dollar idea in front of a bunch of students at NYU. The reasons why I did this were mainly as follows:
1. Someone broke into my home and stole copies of my work, so I was trying to get witnesses to protect it in addition to the copyright registration. ?

Uh, huh. How did they know you had this masterful plan on your computer if this happened before you spoke about it? And ummm...have you not heard of the police? They generally make the best witnesses. I presume there is a police report regarding this incident? Ideas are not copyrightable, so what did you submit to the copyright office for the registration?

Gosh, I hope your million-dollar idea didn't/doesn't have as many plot holes in it as this post did.

In the end, I won. The idea is now published and mine to claim forever. In fact, it is being produced into a movie and gotten me a lot of high-paying jobs. However, I am still disturbed by how easily it could have fallen into the hands of those disgusting people. I can't help but shake the feeling that I won only because of luck that my stupid, self-destructive actions didn't cost me my life's work.

Okay, professionals know that ideas are not copyrightable. (Let's just look at the example several summers ago when we had two movies in the theatres about astroids blasting into the earth. Same idea. Totally different movies. Because the characters make the difference. How the author handles it makes the difference.)

And if you won the victory, then why are you here? Searching for absolution? If you just needed to get it "off your chest so you can write without it pestering you," well, most authors I know also know the value of a private journal. Or of writing something down and then burning it. That's thereputic. Most don't seek out an audience to blat it to. There are no writing priests here to grant you absolution.

If you really want to impress us and improve your credibility, stop hiding behind "Anonymous" and give us the name of the book and the million dollar idea. I mean, if it's already in production, then we can't steal it like those nasty people at NYU. (Well, actually, we COULD steal it. It's all pretty much been done before. And it will be done again.)

Susan G.

[Sheryl Nantus]

Well, actually, we COULD steal it. It's all pretty much been done before. And it will be done again.

Susan G.

*starts humming "The Circle of Life"*

;)

and the beat goes on...

[zizban]

Is this some sort of joke?

[Jamesaritchie]

This is a complex issue. To clarify the confusion:

I was a student. People hated my opinions and were also racist toward my ethnic group. My idea is one of those high concept ideas that would be less novel if anyone else did it before me, which is why I don't understand why the hell I would go around pitching it to NYU students instead of sending it out to producers and editors.

Also, it is a novel and a screenplay.

I can't tell you what my book is otherwise you'd know who I am and I'd prefer to be anonymous in this case.

Yes, I am looking for comfort, but not begging for it. I welcome negative responses.

Eraser, you can write about this idea because it's not something people will shell out money to see.

You know, sometimes people hate you because of the ethnic group you belong to, and sometimes people hate you just because you're an *******.

Hiding behind "anonymous" doesn't cut it. I don't really care who you are, but if you want me to believe anything you're saying, don't hide your identity.

As for an idea that hasn't been done before, I've yet to see one. High concept, low concept, who cares? An idea is an idea is an idea. But even if you did come up with one that was completely original, it's still worthless unless it's turned into something worthwhile by talent and skill.

If you really want me to believe any of this, stop hiding. I can't see what possible reason you have for not letting your name be known. It isn't as if you molested a chipmunk. So you pitched the idea in front of some students. Welcome to the real world where this is done day in and day out all over the country.

This makes me wonder if you've ever been near a real writing class, novel or screenwriting. Pitching ideas played a part of every college level class I've been involved with.

[pepperlandgirl]

Inspite of myself, I am deeply curious.

Maybe I'm just looking for a completely original idea to steal....I've never seen one before, I wonder what they look like in the wild.

[rich]

Ah, I can tell you they are furry. Born in Spring, and have no concern about their future. They play a lot and don't like things getting in the way of play.

[Birol]

And they look a lot like ideas that have come before, only they don't have as much flesh on their bones.

[pepperlandgirl]

Fascinating.

[James D. Macdonald]

Watt-Evans' Law of Literary Creation: There is no idea so stupid or hackneyed that a sufficiently-talented writer can't get a good story out of it.
Feist's Corollary: There is no idea so brilliant or original that a sufficiently-untalented writer can't screw it up.


For more fun:

The Evil Overlord Plot Generator (http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/2002_06.html#000290)

[zeprosnepsid]

People hated my opinions

Then why would they take your ideas?

And there's nothing wrong with practicing pitching. I think it would help more than hurt. We pitched our ideas in film school all the time and no one ever stole one.

I don't think there's anything wrong with being cautious. If was Chris Nolan and his brother writing Memento, I wouldn't tell anyone. I wouldn't want anyone to do it before me. But I could also be reasonable. For instance, if someone else did something similar than I couldn't get too upset, it's not a truly original idea.

And why get so upset now when you've already been successful? Nobody did do your idea before you. But I suppose you've learned to keep your mouth shut if your going to be paranoid about it. It's good to get feedback, but next time run it by people you trust.

And it's not to say you haven't experienced prejudice in your life, but in New York, at NYU, there must be many other people of your ethnic group. It's not like you were in a place known for prejudiced white people.

And losing your idea would not make you considered a loser in the writing community. What you've done here clearly has. Who would think that about you? How would the 'writing community' even know what happened?

And lastly, if you have sold your multi-million dollar idea, you should have multi-millions. If I had multi-millions, I would probably not be spending my time here (no offense everyone, you could still e-mail me in Maui, but I don't know if I could pull myself away from my Martini on the beach to write on the board!)

[James D. Macdonald]

Here's a high-concept plot for anyone who wants it. First one to write it up and get it to an editor wins.

Duke Ellington, Detective

[Galoot]

Duke Ellington, DetectiveBastard! Now I've got to shelve my Thelonious Monk, Mobster idea.

[CaoPaux]

Here's a high-concept plot for anyone who wants it. First one to write it up and get it to an editor wins.

Duke Ellington, DetectiveHeh. Ya know, Jim, I've been plunking away on that knight story you suggested last year. I'll post it for eviscerating Real Soon Now.

[maestrowork]

F***! There goes my Elvis, FBI Agent!

[James D. Macdonald]

Bastard! Now I've got to shelve my Thelonious Monk, Mobster idea.

That would make him Felonious Monk, wouldn't it?

You could have a series: Duke Ellington, Detective. Thelonious Monk, Mobster. Cab Calloway, Cop. Benny Goodman, Bounty Hunter. Count Basie, Cat Burglar ....


===========

UPDATE: Y'know, Elvis of the FBI isn't such a bad idea.....

[Birol]

Yeah, he's not dead, just in a witness protection program.

[James D. Macdonald]

Please notice that any one of these is a million-dollar idea ... provided you do it very, very well.

[zizban]

Elvis could have a secret crime fighting bunker under Graceland.

[maestrowork]

That's my idea, Zizban. Dare not steal it!

[scullars]

F***! There goes my Elvis, FBI Agent!




I thought Elvis was dead...or at least an alien...now I'm confused.

BTW, Anonymous don't worry about anyone stealing your idea as ideas aren't copyrightable anyway. This from a wayward lawyer who barely practiced until she found a better job. :)

[AncientEagle]

Think I'll steal this whole thread and make a best-selling script out of it. All I need to add is a love interest, some sex, a dash of profanity, and more sex. Oh, yeah - I'll have to figure out what the problem is. And an entertaining way at the conclusion to unmask the mysterious stranger.

[Galoot]

All I need to add is a love interest, some sex, a dash of profanity, and more sex.
"Add?" I'm already here.

[clara bow]

"Christopher Leland, paraphrasing T.S. Eliot, said, "Good writers borrow. Great writers steal."

(I must confess: while I don't steal whole plot ideas, I "steal" things like names, phrases, scenes, and other sundry details all--the--time!!!!!!! I'm not sure if I'm a great writer, but I'm a total writing klepto.).

[Lilybiz]

"Christopher Leland, paraphrasing T.S. Eliot, said, "Good writers borrow. Great writers steal."


I steal, but only unconsciously. Does that make me a genius?

[pepperlandgirl]

Anonymous, can you give us a clue at least?

[Euan H.]

Elvis could have a secret crime fighting bunker under Graceland.
That's more super-hero than FBI agent, isn't it? Cool idea, though--still made me laugh out loud.

Mmm, how about 'Davy Crockett, Demon Killer'?

[pepperlandgirl]

I would seriously pay to read "Davy Crockett--Demon Killer."

[Liam Jackson]

Frank Zappa meets Dracula!
Now there's a high concept for you! (Oh, wait...it's a rip-off of Abbott and Costello Meet Frakenstein. Or is it the Wolfman? I get all these highly original multi-million dollar ideas mixed up )

No matter. Jump on that highly original multi-million dollar idea if youre feeling froggy. It won't do you any good. I've already pitched ALL the high-dollar ideas to the Pine Bluff middle school PTA.
(They hated me because I'm of Scandinavian/labrador retriever descent.)

[mdin]

Wait, is Davy Crockett killing demons, or is he a killer demon himself?

I don't care either way as long as he screams "Remember the Alamo!" every time he strikes down one of his enemies.

[Liam Jackson]

Yes, KTC, that's all very well, however...does the student body/PTA hate you for your position of the price of generic "Kibbles ad Bits". That is the real question!

[Richard]

I would seriously pay to read "Davy Crockett--Demon Killer."

We'll always have Jesus Christ - Vampire Hunter (http://www.badmovies.org/movies/jesusvamp/).

[wurdwise]

Frank Zappa meets Dracula!
Now there's a high concept for you! (Oh, wait...it's a rip-off of Abbott and Costello Meet Frakenstein. Or is it the Wolfman? I get all these highly original multi-million dollar ideas mixed up )

No matter. Jump on that highly original multi-million dollar idea if youre feeling froggy. It won't do you any good. I've already pitched ALL the high-dollar ideas to the Pine Bluff middle school PTA.
(They hated me because I'm of Scandinavian/labrador retriever descent.)

LMAO! I didn't go to bed till 3 am, working, and this was the first post I read. Thanks, Liam, for a morning eye opener.

[Mr Underhill]

I was a student. People hated my opinions and were also racist toward my ethnic group. My idea is one of those high concept ideas that would be less novel if anyone else did it before me...

Also, it is a novel and a screenplay.

I can't tell you what my book is otherwise you'd know who I am and I'd prefer to be anonymous in this case.Ah, well I'm afraid this quite gives the whole thing away. "Anonymous Author" is in fact the young author and African-American student activist Ladelle Jonas.

The screenplay and concept she pitched to the studios is for a Green Lantern superhero movie. As you may be aware, the current Green Lantern, John Stewart, is a black man, unlike a string of white predecessors. Ms Jonas' concept is to rethink the entire Lantern mythos, such that instead of being the artifacts of an ancient and powerful alien race, the ring and lantern come from Africa, and have been handed down from generation to generation of African-American men from the time of slavery. The Lanterns derive their power and guidance from the Guardians of Oa, who are not aliens in this conception, but rather a matrilineal order of priestesses rumored to reach back to the beginning of the human species in the Great Rift Valley. Oa is their name for the Living Earth, or the Great Mother, who the Guardians believe to be a sentient living being. The power of the ring and lantern thus derives from nature, which better explains why the energy is green, and not effective against wood.

The movie is calculated to build on the recent success of superhero movies such as Spiderman, the X-Men and Hellboy. In particular, it is geared to appeal both to African-American audiences and the white suburban wanna-bes who make up the largest demographic of the hip-hop market, and the soundtrack will reflect this. New York radio personality DJ Green Lantern "The Evil Genius" will be featured in a cameo role.

After Ms Jonas' sharing of her ideas with the NYU student body, the NYU Conservative Students' Union has been in an uproar. Fundamentalists are predictably outraged at the movie's embrace of "pagan, pantheist idolatry" as one student put it, in addition to the references to evolution. Other conservative students are upset about her anti-patriarchal and afro-centric content, decrying multiculturalism, relativism and a host of other perceived ills. Some claim the movie "endorses eco-terrorism." A student who has seen the script says that drug use is featured in a positive light, in the guise of a priestess named Amanita who communes with the Great Mother by taking psychedelic mushrooms.

For her part, Ms Jonas says that the themes promoted in the film are a necessary counterbalance to the "Arnold Schwartzenegger, white knight on a white horse with a big sword" heroes who are always called on to save the day in mainstream Hollywood features.

However, negotiations between Ms Jonas and the studio have not gone smoothly. She is reported to be very upset that the production company may well scrap all the African heritage elements of her story. And in a final insult, rumor has it that rather than having Green Lantern portrayed as a black man, he will instead be played by actor Jack Black.

So, there you have it. Would I lie to you?

[zizban]

Davy Crockett stalked the streets of the city at night. Only then could he wear his racoon skin cap, which enabled him to see the demons that lurked among the populace, disguised as goth chics, homeless and cashiers at mini marts, and to carry his muskett. Only a muskett could kill them and send their dark souls back to the hell from which they came.

He stood in the shadows now, watching a homeless woman push her cart down dark alley ways. It wasn't a woman, it was a demon, in her cart was the Eye of Argon. Gritting his teeth, Davy Crockett raised and his musket and yelled, "Remember the Alamo!" before blowing the demon away...

[zornhau]

This is a complex issue. To clarify the confusion:
I was a student. People hated my opinions and were also racist toward my ethnic group. My idea is one of those high concept ideas that would be less novel if anyone else did it before me, which is why I don't understand why the hell I would go around pitching it to NYU students instead of sending it out to producers and editors.


I choose to take this person seriously:

Even if no high concept is truly original, if you gave one a specific twist which happened to hit the zietgiest (or however you spell that), you might want to keep schtum about it in case other people made the connection.
Perhaps our Anon friend lucked out on his/her first novel in their early 20s without acquiring the professional experience or maturity which normally goes with a successful fiction career.
It raises some interesting questions whether or not it's true
My personal answer to the Anon's questions:

One reason we value maturity is because it enables us to behave consistently and in our best interests in a range of situations. Even so, people behave unexpectedly in unusual situations.

Our behaviour is much more context-dependent than we realise - see the recent book Blink for examples. There's even an argument that there is no real "I", just a load of memes operating in parallel (Susan Blackamore). It's certainly my experience in martial arts that knowing what to do, and doing it under pressure in real time are very different things, i.e. to be a martial artist in your head, but flailing scrapper in the fight.

So, it's possible to be several different people at once: embattled youngster, observant neo-pro author, socially awkward or obnoxious person with racial chip on his/her shoulder, victim of racisim, hormone soaked youth hoping to get enough short-term social status to get laid...

I suspect that, as a student you were several of these people. All that happened was that the situation brought out the wrong "you". Now you're firmly ensconced in your professional identity, you quite reasonably cringe at your unwise behaviour. For the future, either avoid similar situations, or find a way of toughening up your response to stressful situations - marital arts, outdoor sports, public debating, kareoke... whatever.

Might I also suggest that, if you are young (20s) and if this is your first published novel, you work out how much of the success was due to lucky choice of high concept, and how much due to your craft. As I recall, it's usually very hard to follow on from early success. But that's for another thread. Also, you probably need to take the time to learn about the industry, or it will eat you.

Good luck whoever you are. But. Chill. Out.

[Jamesaritchie]

I choose never to take anyone seriously who won't reveal their identity. Especially when they're complaining about things that aren't worth complaining about, and that people in his situation do all the time.

It's easy to talk about million-dollar ideas, novel and movie sales, but I've found there's usually a reason when people won't actually say who published them, or who is making the movie.

If he is telling the truth, there's a whole class at NYU that knows exactly who he is and what he's done, so why hide it from us?

[zornhau]

I choose never to take anyone seriously who won't reveal their identity. Especially when they're complaining about things that aren't worth complaining about, and that people in his situation do all the time.

It's easy to talk about million-dollar ideas, novel and movie sales, but I've found there's usually a reason when people won't actually say who published them, or who is making the movie.

If he is telling the truth, there's a whole class at NYU that knows exactly who he is and what he's done, so why hide it from us?

Well, for a start, you can't google the memories of unspecified class in NYU! Also, it's one thing to know a few people can report embarrassing things about you, another to own up to them where your professional contacts can find out.

However, if (s)he's real, I'm guessing (s)he's just young and inexperienced.

Sometimes young authors hit the nail on the head with the one novel they have in them - y'know the kind of thing: 1st person narrative about growing up in Rwanda, or as a young transexual in darkest Bible Belt country.

Early success doesn't, however, furnish maturity or professionalism, which is why such people are sometimes a flash in the pan.

[scullars]

What the student body actually hate me for, and for the love of God I swear I would never reveal this here in case the AWers came to hate me too, is my hatred of pickles. It's true. I am dead against pickles of any type. I despise them. And yes, people hate me for it. The student body, my dear man, is the tip of the iceburg! I HATE PICKLES. There, I've said it! There is no turning back now. I am pickle prejudice.

As an avid pickle eater, I take umbrage at this. Country Kitchen pickles are the ambrosia(s) of the Gods.

[Liam Jackson]

The person doesn't mind plugging the story at NYU, yet becomes a shrinking violet here? A lecture at NYU isn't exactly a low-key affair. As for Google, I'm not so sure that if this person IS for real, there isn't some mention in an article or blog. However, the "cloaked in mystery" approach doesn't work for me. The "Oh, I may have done a nasty thing and took advantage...." loses value when uttered from the confines of a cyber confessional.

Zorn, on some level, I hope youre correct.

[Liam Jackson]

:Smack: Good grief, I should have known!

[Jaws]

This may be a disturbing post, but I need to get something off my chest.[snip]
Sorry if this seems too "personal," but the rhetoric of the initial posting leads me to believe that you need advice pushed directly in your face or you'll ignore it.

Legal Doctrine
Sorry, but "idea theft" is not protected under the circumstances described here. Under Desny—the governing case in California law, which is generally followed by the New York courts—you have to demonstrate that you (a) communicated an idea (b) with the intention of mutual profit from the idea (c) with an expectation of confidentiality. Both (b) and (c) failed here. End of discussion.
Further, disclosing it to the rest of the class just kills your position. You must maintain confidentiality of the idea. If you need documentation, write a memorandum to file as part of your regular business records. That's at least as good evidence as trying to get accurate recollection four or five years down the line from a bunch of students/strangers, if you can find them in the first place.
Ethics
I find the ethics in Hollywood lacking. There's no excuse for "idea theft" in the sense of taking advantage of someone who is naive about the legal requirements.
That said, it's unethical to drag a captive audience in as your "witnesses," especially without taking advantage of other resources first. NYU has a well-thought-of film school, and there are at least four instructors there who could have advised you on better courses of action.
Next Time
Get legal advice before you try to manipulate others into covering your own posterior, particularly when a judge or jury later will infer that that's exactly what you're doing (as a result of your own carelessness).

[maestrowork]

I smell a troll

(oh, just me, I forgot to shower today)

[Jamesaritchie]

Well, for a start, you can't google the memories of unspecified class in NYU! Also, it's one thing to know a few people can report embarrassing things about you, another to own up to them where your professional contacts can find out.

However, if (s)he's real, I'm guessing (s)he's just young and inexperienced.

Sometimes young authors hit the nail on the head with the one novel they have in them - y'know the kind of thing: 1st person narrative about growing up in Rwanda, or as a young transexual in darkest Bible Belt country.

Early success doesn't, however, furnish maturity or professionalism, which is why such people are sometimes a flash in the pan.

What embarrassing things? That's the point here. He may have made a complete ass of himself in front of a class, but it certainly wasn't by pitching his idea to them. Unless it was an idea everyone laughed at because it sounded so stupid. And if that's the case, he now has every reason to come out of hiding and prove them wrong.

I don't know about googling anything, but if he really has a million-dollar idea that's a published book, and that's being made into a movie, each and every one of his classmates will recognize it and him. They'll be all over the internet talking about it. You can't hide success, no matter how hard you try.

Sure, young authors often hit the nail on the head. Then they show people where they drove the nail. They're rightfully proud of the accomplishment, and the first thing they do is stick out their tongues at the naysayers and go, Na na na nan na na na.

The more immature they are, the louder and longer they do this.

He/she may be for real, who knows? But as long as he/she is hiding behind "Anonymous," I have little reason to believe anything he/she says, and no reason to care.

[jackie106]

Green Lantern is a the intellectual property of DC Comics and any use of the character must be licensed by the company. From what I understand, this is still true even if the character has been re-imagined. Anon doesn't own the rights to the character, just to the changes that she has made.

If someone is going to do a movie about the Green Lantern and not use any of Anon's added elements, does she have any grounds to sue? Wouldn't DC Comics own the movie rights?

I can't really comment on the rest of the situation because I feel like I have so few of the facts. Why would she pitch a socially-conscious, Afro-centric movie idea to a conservative student group? They don't seem like they would be receptive to the idea. Were any of the students in the room connected to the new Green Lantern movie? Did she talk about her idea to anyone who was connected to the new movie? Can she prove that anyone took her ideas and misused them?

I looked at IMDB.com and I did not see any info about an upcoming Green Lantern or Justice League movie.

If her ideas were stolen, I definitely sympathize with her, but I can't take a position without more information.

Jackie

[Mr Underhill]

That would make him Felonious Monk, wouldn't it?No! NOOOO!!!

Felonious Monk is my idea! Mine I tell you! He is a Dominican brother in the Middle Ages who is assigned as confessor to a powerful noble house. After hearing various tales of intrigue, ignominy and incest, he realizes he can become rich by blackmailing the family...

Isn't it bad enough you steal my concepts? Do you have to twist them around into something unrecognizable to boot?


:ROFL:

[aka eraser]

No! NOOOO!!!

Felonious Monk is my idea! Mine I tell you! He is a Dominican brother in the Middle Ages who is assigned as confessor to a powerful noble house. After hearing various tales of intrigue, ignominy and incest, he realizes he can become rich by blackmailing the family...

Isn't it bad enough you steal my concepts? Do you have to twist them around into something unrecognizable to boot?


:ROFL:

I thought that was Blackmail, The Prelate.

[Mike Martyn]

Okay! This really freaked me out. I am photocopying my head this morning! I have all these ideas and I'm afeared of having them stolen. I will file my photocopy and hope that all the ideas show up on it so I will have proof that they are mine! All I need is one more movie to fly across the screen at the theatre that was stolen from one of my great ideas! OH CRAP! Maybe it should be an X-ray of my head. I mean, will a photocopy really cut it??? Even if I put it on dark, the ideas still may not show. I am really vexing now. What if you people can read between the lines of my post and suck the great ideas from my thoughts. I need to copyright myself right now. What time does the copyright office open? I need protecting, gosh darnit! I got this faboo idea about an aged hero running through the streets of a megatropolis saving the downtrodden while daylighting as a mild mannered fitness instructor at a geriatric community centre. It's faboo...I mean riveting. But I need this thing copyrighted. My ideas are in perl! What should I do? Captain Droopy Drawers depends on me to save him. This could be a major motion picture. Scratch that...this could be a movie empire that can spin into sequel heaven. Who doesn't want to see 78 year-old super heroes save the world from destruction. I need that X-ray machine! When does the hospital open? I'm a wreck now. I can feel the cranium penetration being worked on me by my fellow AW readers. CALLING CAPTAIN DROOPY DRAWERS!!! SAVE ME!!!!



Cut your head off and put it in the freezer. That's what I do!

[zizban]

Cut your head off and put it in the freezer. That's what I do!

No!!! Ever see what freezer burn does to a head????

[Mr Underhill]

I thought that was Blackmail, The Prelate.

No, but in a planned sequel said brother makes it to Rome, and due to his background he is sent on a mission to steal some documents from the Anti-Pope's headquarters in Avignon. The team is caught red-handed, leading to a huge political breakdown of confidence in the Roman Papacy.

I call it All the Pontifex Men.

[jdkiggins]

Here's a high-concept plot for anyone who wants it. First one to write it up and get it to an editor wins.

Duke Ellington, Detective

Oh boy, another competition! :hooray:
Did anyone bother to tell this gentleman that "ideas" are not able to be copyrighted?

[Mark Anderson]

Um...I'm even more confused. Time for the moon-crazy horse: :horse:

No, it's not a dead horse. I don't care what anyone else says.

I'd also like to be the first to claim the rights to the idea for Edward Scissorhands, Proctologist.

[azbikergirl]

I'm fond of horror. How about

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer.

[scullars]

Oh boy, another competition! :hooray:
Did anyone bother to tell this gentleman that "ideas" are not able to be copyrighted?

I did! Me!

[brinkett]

I'm fond of horror. How about

Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer.
I think erotica would be a better choice for anything involving Pinocchio.

[reph]

I did! Me!
And I suppose you're going to claim that it was your idea...

[mdin]

I think erotica would be a better choice for anything involving Pinocchio.

lol.

It could work as horror. He should sharpen his nose so it resembles a stake.

I can just see the grand climax where the vampire has our hero by the throat, and he saves the day by telling a profound lie.

[pepperlandgirl]

In the sequel, he could team up with Davy Crockett Demon Hunter.

[scullars]

And I suppose you're going to claim that it was your idea...

Well...uh, yuh...it was. Worth quadrillions, too. Too bad them pesky conspirators stole it from me. Now, here I remain in penury while them varmints make quadrillions on MY idea, will be drinking MY Cristal, driving MY Lexus and probably gonna get MY damn Oscar, too... Life's a beetch...

[Elincoln]

Someone broke into my home and stole copies of my work, so I was trying to get witnesses to protect it in addition to the copyright registration.

Are you saying they specifically took your work, or did they take the container (i.e. briefcase, computer, file disks)? I can't see someone breaking into another persons house just to steal paper.

I figured I may as well network at NYU, since it is a prestigious school and a lot of these kids have powerful parents.

Prestigious? Yes. Powerful parents? Not really. NYU is more the artistic group from the set of people I use to talk to.

I was stressed out and I really needed someone to give me feedback.

You're stuff gets lost and you wanted feedback on it...

I didn't realize that all I had to do to protect it was send it out to production companies and publishers, even though the book wasn't yet perfect at the time.

Simple mistake.

After I pitched it in numerous classes, various students ended up hating me for my beliefs and could easily steal the idea.

From my experience, if a group of peers (or whatever) do not like you, chances are they won't steal your stuff (hatred by association.)

I know most people here will either ignore me or call me a loser, but I just needed to get this off my chest so I can write without it pestering me.


Ah ha. Here's the problem. You were looking for sympathy and no one there gave it to you. I don't believe they hated you or were against your ethnic background (Have you seen the majority of NYC students? It's like the United Nations. It's cool over there.) They probably gave you the same reaction we're giving you. It's an idea and ideas are free.

IF your work was stolen, I feel for you. Had it happened to me a long time ago. But instead of worrying if someone stole the idea, I just moved on. Ideas come and go. That's life.

As for the Anonymous? I don't care if you are published and known. If you don't have the courage to show yourself here, it doesn't say much for the truth of your confession on such a ridiculous matter.

-Elaine

[Mr Underhill]

Oh boy, another competition! :hooray: Right.

I've taken the liberty of nominating the Gangsta Jazz concept for the Week 3 AI theme in Mr Haskin's thread.

[Docknboatlift]

I hope this delicate and sensitive unloved minority with the unpopular beliefs feller/gal will be so kind as to check back in when he/she has actually gathered about his/her abode these one million actual, presumably American, greenbacks.

They is much easier to steal, and lots less work convertin fer me personal use, than tryin to pitch controversial prose upon the unappreciative public, regardless of intrinsic value thereupon endowed.

Please leave the back door open and some beer in the fridge too.

[Elincoln]

Right.

I've taken the liberty of nominating the Gangsta Jazz concept for the Week 3 AI theme in Mr Haskin's thread.

You forgot Jesus tangos with the Undead.

[Mr Underhill]

You forgot Jesus tangles with the Undead.I was not aware that the Savior had a career as a Jazz musician. And these Undead, in this context I presume this is the name of a criminal syndicate?
;)

[pepperlandgirl]

I was not aware that the Savior had a career as a Jazz musician. And these Undead, in this context I presume this is the name of a criminal syndicate?
;)

Jesus wasn't known for his jazz career, unfortunately, but the twelve cats he hung out with could really jam.

[Galoot]

Jesus wasn't known for his jazz career, unfortunately, but the twelve cats he hung out with could really jam.I thought he was a rock star.

http://img215.echo.cx/img215/1739/41896qv87small8ga.jpg (http://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?entry=47651&display=photoshop)
(Click for full-sized fun.)

[stace001]

I think this thread is ridiculous...unbelievable and a waste of time. (actually no, its not a waste, i got some great laughs out of some of the posts)

I say to you...move on. get over it, and write another book. There are so many holes your post, and very little of it makes any sense.

I once sent a synopsis to an agent , and a few weeks later received a letter telling me that one of her current clients had written a novel very, very similar to the one i was trying to get published. (i hadn't heard of the client nor read the book) I thanked her for her time, and moved on to the next agent. i suggest you do the same. Move on. You can't stop people from having ideas, even if they are 'similar' to yours.

[pepperlandgirl]

I thought he was a rock star.

http://img215.echo.cx/img215/1739/41896qv87small8ga.jpg (http://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?entry=47651&display=photoshop)
(Click for full-sized fun.)

Lies spread by the People's Front of Judea...

[MartyKay]

Synopsis:

Anonymous wants to complain about theft of idea (what? drilled it from their head??).

Anonymous allegedly stole Green Lantern (TM, R, Etc DC Comics) to put in ethnically sensitive version of film/novel

Anonymous surprised by the lack of sympathy and plays the "people hate the idea because I am X" card

Other people made great puns for book titles.

Is that it?

[Shiny_Penguin]

These ideas are all too funny! I startled the dogs too many times this morning with my sudden wheezing laugh that turns into a coughing fit (how the heck do I keep getting throat infections?-- wait, don't answer that)

For those of us still having a little trouble coming up with that million dollar idea might I suggest this (http://home.epix.net/%7Emhryvnak/theyfightcrime.html)?

[Sarita]

My next project will practically write itself with this site. Thanks Laura!

He's a superhumanly strong amnesiac dog-catcher who knows the secret of the alien invasion. She's a sarcastic hip-hop advertising executive from aristocratic European stock. They fight crime!
He's an old-fashioned pirate paramedic for the 21st century. She's a provocative African-American soap star looking for love in all the wrong places. They fight crime!

But could someone tell me: Just what is a pirate paramedic? Does he steal injured people?

[Lenora Rose]

But could someone tell me: Just what is a pirate paramedic? Does he steal injured people?

Nah, he sails the salt seas in search of injured pirates. Treasure? Bah. Boring.

[James D. Macdonald]

He's a war-weary shark-wrestling shaman with no name. She's a violent gypsy archaeologist on the trail of a serial killer. They fight crime!

And by a weird coincidence, that's the plot of the recent movie Sahara.

[Mr Underhill]

Green Lantern is a the intellectual property of DC Comics and any use of the character must be licensed by the company... If someone is going to do a movie about the Green Lantern and not use any of Anon's added elements, does she have any grounds to sue? Wouldn't DC Comics own the movie rights?...I looked at IMDB.com and I did not see any info about an upcoming Green Lantern or Justice League movie.

If her ideas were stolen, I definitely sympathize with her, but I can't take a position without more information.Anonymous allegedly stole Green Lantern (TM, R, Etc DC Comics) to put in ethnically sensitive version of film/novelDo you think I should let them in on it, or provide "more information"?

How long is it 'til May again?

[stace001]

These ideas are all too funny! I startled the dogs too many times this morning with my sudden wheezing laugh that turns into a coughing fit (how the heck do I keep getting throat infections?-- wait, don't answer that)

For those of us still having a little trouble coming up with that million dollar idea might I suggest this (http://home.epix.net/%7Emhryvnak/theyfightcrime.html)?

Shiny, you're too funny!!! I read your post and spurted coffee outta my mouth...my computer looks like its vomited coffee all over itself.:roll:

[tjwriter]

That is why I don't drink when I read posts. I do it in between the last thread of the current post and clicking to the next thread. Lessons learned my friends. :Thumbs:

[Shiny_Penguin]

I've also learned not to drink coffee while reading at AW. Too many funny people here.

[Euan H.]

He's an uncontrollable gay inventor with a mysterious suitcase handcuffed to his arm. She's a cosmopolitan African-American vampire fleeing from a Satanic cult. They fight crime!

Nice...

An uncontrollable gay inventor? Is he uncontrollably gay? Or is he inventing uncontrollably? Or he's just generally uncontrollable?

And a cosmopolitan African-American vampire? Way cool.

This one actually has started me thinking...watch this space!

[black winged fighter]

These posts grow ever more bizarre...Oh - that's odd - I've just been inspired to write! Keep the weirdness coming!

[zizban]

Cue Trailer:

"On the dark streets of the city, evil lurks. Davy Crockett is there, hunting cosmopolitan African-American vampires, animated puppets with sharp noses and demon killers disguised as American Idol wannabes...he is the next thing in super heroes, he is Davy Crockett, the next XXX!"

[MadScientistMatt]

Wow, a random million dollar idea generator! This thing is a real hoot. Here's the plot idea it gave me:

He's a superhumanly strong small-town matador on the hunt for the last specimen of a great and near-mythical creature. She's a bloodthirsty red-headed Valkyrie operating on the wrong side of the law. They fight crime!

[edfrzr]

A Pirate paramedic? What the...? I can see it all now. "Dammit Redbeard, I'm a paramedic not a Pirate! Now hand me that saw and step back causin thar's gonna be splinters all over the place."

Redbeard steps back from all the commotion only to find more commotion in the distance. He screams at the top of his lungs as he draws his sword, "Avast! Stop that scallywag. He's stealing my cabin boy...and I was just thinking about him."

Would someone please PM me with your stolen ideas. I'm running low.

[stace001]

That is why I don't drink when I read posts. I do it in between the last thread of the current post and clicking to the next thread. Lessons learned my friends. :Thumbs:

:Smack: now you tell me.

[Shiny_Penguin]

Here's (http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index-writ.php) another one of my favorite generator places. No wonder I get very little writing done. I spend too much time generating ideas.

[Elincoln]

He's a maverick ninja shaman with a robot buddy named Sparky. She's a mentally unstable out-of-work single mother with a flame-thrower. They fight crime!

Oh, man. Was someone reading my dream journal? Scary!

[Elincoln]

I've also learned not to drink coffee while reading at AW. Too many funny people here.

Haven't spewed anything liquid, but have swallowed gum while reading. Wonder how long it will stay there?

[NeuroFizz]

He's an epileptic cornhusker and she's a ho' with a bad case of the runs. He shucks between fits and she . . . No. Wait. They fight crime.

[edfrzr]

he's a she and she's a he. they fight each other over clothes!

[jackie106]

I looked at IMDB.com and I did not see any info about an upcoming Green Lantern or Justice League movie.


I stand corrected. According to Yahoo (http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808492469&intl=us), there will be a Green Lantern movie coming out.

Jackie

[Lenora Rose]

Every time I see Stace001's closing sig. (Retired Demon hunter and out of control 'Chocoholic' in desperate need of help.), I've been thinking "She needs a partner who's an amnesiac retired ** in search of his last lost ***). Then she could fight crime!" ;)

[James D. Macdonald]

Wait! Next million-dollar idea!

Suppose ... Spiderman were Jewish!

You know ... Rothman, Finkleman, Spiderman ....

[jackie106]

Wait! Next million-dollar idea!

Suppose ... Spiderman were Jewish!

You know ... Rothman, Finkleman, Spiderman ....

HA! Sam Raimi beat you to the punch (http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/leisure/jewsinthenews/?disp_feature=2B6t6C.var).

Jackie

[PattiTheWicked]

He's an epileptic cornhusker and she's a ho' with a bad case of the runs. He shucks between fits and she . . . No. Wait. They fight crime.

Wow. I just hooped diet coke out my nose.

[James D. Macdonald]

HA! Sam Raimi beat you to the punch (http://www.virtualjerusalem.com/leisure/jewsinthenews/?disp_feature=2B6t6C.var).

Jackie


He stole my idea! I'm gonna SUE!

[jackie106]

He stole my idea! I'm gonna SUE!

You should! I'll back you up in court.

Jackie

[robeiae]

He's an epileptic cornhusker and she's a ho' with a bad case of the runs. He shucks between fits and she . . . No. Wait. They fight crime.

Don't you think that has been done to death? But maybe, we could make it into a period piece, say Victorian England...they could be friends of William...no, wait...fighting crime is better.

Rob

[fallenangelwriter]

actually, I'm pretty sure it's impossibe to steal an idea.


how do i know? i tried, once. a friend of mine had started a story based on a really interesting idea. she wasn't really writing much though, and wouldn't have finished it. for fun, i started writing a story based on the same idea. i figured that since this was one of my first stories, it probably wouldn't be salable anyway, and if it was, i was pretty sure my friend would be okay with it.

well, I liked the premise but not the main character. i altered the premise slightly to fit in mroe with my ideas and my plot. she hadn't done much work with the ending yet so i got to write my own.

the more i worked on it, the more the more i adapted the idea to suit my personal style. eventually, i showed what i did to my friend and she didn't even realize i had based it on her story.

[scullars]

How about Spiderman as a choreographer during the day and a crime fighter at night, thus the figure below (just had to find a reason to repost this image)...

http://www.absolutepunk.net/images/smilies/new/spiderman.gif

[Sarita]

For some strange reason, that Spidey reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite...

I know why! Hey! You stole the idea! hehe

[scullars]

For some strange reason, that Spidey reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite...

I know why! Hey! You stole the idea! hehe

Yes, Thief Extraordinaire! That is I!

[AnneMarble]

Maybe I'm just looking for a completely original idea to steal....I've never seen one before, I wonder what they look like in the wild.

I think they look a lot like wild naugas. If you're not careful, instead of a completely original idea, you'll end up with a cheap sofa. Then again, you can't sit on an original idea.

To help you tell the difference, here is a link to a page on the history of Naugas (http://www.naugahyde.com/history.html). Come to think of it, that page is a completely original idea. So now I'm confused, too.
:confused:

[AnneMarble]

I think erotica would be a better choice for anything involving Pinocchio.
I'm pretty sure there was already an x-rated movie along these lines.. In the 1970s, I think. I even remember hearing the line they used to promote the movie. :D

[wurdwise]

How about Spiderman as a choreographer during the day and a crime fighter at night, thus the figure below (just had to find a reason to repost this image)...

http://www.absolutepunk.net/images/smilies/new/spiderman.gif

Scullars, you turned over my giggle box. I am still snorting and chuckling as I write this note. I've got to go...I can't look at that picture without busting out laughing now.

[James D. Macdonald]

I'm pretty sure there was already an x-rated movie along these lines...

One day Pinocchio went to Papa Gepetto with a problem.

"Papa," Pinocchio said, "my girlfriend complains of splinters...."

"That's easily fixed," Papa Gepetto said. "Here, take some extra-fine sandpaper and smooth the part. All will be well."

A couple of weeks later, Papa Gepetto saw Pinocchio again and asked him, "How did it all work out with your girlfriend?"

"Who needs a girlfriend?"

[wurdwise]

:roll:

[Mr Underhill]

"That's easily fixed," Papa Gepetto said. "Here, take some extra-fine sandpaper and smooth the part. All will be well."
....:ROFL:


I believe this was also made into a movie.

The title, if I recall correctly, was Pulp Friction.

[wurdwise]

Maybe this is an original idea. A horror story, the smilies on an internet message board come to life. They begin posting on the board, pming and bonking the members, posting their picture as their avatar, critiquing work, giving advice, driving some people into insanity. What comes to mind is a modern day version, I can't remember the name of the old movie, but I can hear those pod noises and see them crawling in the windows trying to get at that dark haired actress with the big boobs, Adrienne Barbella? Nah...can't remember her name.

[Fractured_Chaos]

He's an epileptic cornhusker and she's a ho' with a bad case of the runs. He shucks between fits and she . . . No. Wait. They fight crime.

Oh, Lordy, that was Baaaaad! :ROFL:

[Galoot]

Let me tell you...you will not be able to put it down!!!!!
Do you mean in the "insult" sense or physically?

[Mr Underhill]

Let me tell you...you will not be able to put it down!!!!!
Do you mean in the "insult" sense or physically?
I thought this was an homage to the "Query Letter from Hell" genre. Kind of reminded of the "Blowjobs, Whiskey and Steak" letter from the 2003 Writer's Market Query Letter Clinic. Looking at that one again right now for a good laugh.