Darkness Visible - Plagiarism or not?

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Nadjeschda

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Hello,

What is wrong with the writing community?

2 years ago I posted a logline on another writer internet forum. Now I found out that a script with a logline almost identical to mine is in circulation. It is a very very unique concept and I actually placed with it as finalist in a major competition.

I have done some research and as it seems as long as the story is different this is not a problem of plagiarism?!? Or is a logline protectable?

To be frank I can't exclude chance but I really would like to talk to this writer.

I couldn't find the title; it does not seem to have won any competition. My only hope is that it is sub-standard. If a writer has no ideas of his own that would be the likely outcome. In this case even the title seems to be from somebody else.

I am so furious.
 

Claudia Gray

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I would guess that a logline alone isn't protectable, and titles alone certainly aren't. Unless you have some specific reason to believe that this guy could have stolen from you, it could be as simple as somebody else having the same great idea. A logline is so brief that, given the same root concept, two loglines could extremely similar without being copied outright.
 

Nadjeschda

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Sorry for the cofusion

"Darkness visble" is the name of the strange script. To my knowledge it bears no connection to the book "darkness visible a memoir of madness"
 

Kathleen42

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I would guess that a logline alone isn't protectable, and titles alone certainly aren't. Unless you have some specific reason to believe that this guy could have stolen from you, it could be as simple as somebody else having the same great idea. A logline is so brief that, given the same root concept, two loglines could extremely similar without being copied outright.

I agree with this. I know it sucks to hear, but it could just be a coincidence. A few years ago, a company I was working for contracted out a designer to create a logo for one of our products. We ended up shelving the project, did not display the logo, and did not have it trademarked. A year later, a company in a completely different country launched a realted product with a very similar logo.

While neither designer copied the other (and am absolutely certain of this fact) you would not have known it to look at the logos.
 

Blondchen

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Logline and title are not protectable. In fact, even if you read the script and it bore a striking resemblance to yours, you would have to be able to prove it's author had access to your script/concept to have any sort of a case.

There was a very famous case involving the Drew Barrymore picture Never Been Kissed several years ago where one agency client sued another agent and client at said agency, claiming the idea for her film had been swiped. I believe it settled. Even then, the suing writer didn't have enough of a case to win outright.
 

Kathleen42

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This might seem like a stupid question but ... what is a logline?

it's not a stupid question. It's the television or movie equivalent of a hook. From wikipedia:

Charlie Brown is finally invited to a Halloween party; Snoopy engages the Red Baron in a dogfight; and Linus waits patiently in the pumpkin patch for the Great Pumpkin.
-- Log Line for It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown as retrieved from titantv.com
 

blacbird

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2 years ago I posted a logline on another writer internet forum. Now I found out that a script with a logline almost identical to mine is in circulation. It is a very very unique concept

Obviously it isn't very very unique. Few things are. For info, the title Darkness Visible is both a novel by Nobel Prize recipient William Golding, and a memoir by Pulitzer Prize recipient William Styron, both recently deceased and both globally famous. I suggest you find another title, just for starters.

caw
 

dpaterso

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Which writing community are you talking about? What script are you talking about? No links?

Have you read this other script? Or are you basing your plagiarism accusation only on logline similarity? It's tough to cram a "very very unique concept" into a 25-word logline without losing something in the compression and making the logline appear more general.

I can't know if you're right or not, but I do know that I've seen, in numerous articles and discussion threads, pro writers/execs/contest organizers declare that they're forever seeing similar ideas that come from completely different sources thousands of miles away from each other.

-Derek
 

Nadjeschda

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Hello,

For info, the title Darkness Visible is both a novel by Nobel Prize recipient William Golding, and a memoir by Pulitzer Prize recipient William Styron, both recently deceased and both globally famous. I suggest you find another title, just for starters.

caw

- Yes I would suggest that to the author too.

This might seem like a stupid question but ... what is a logline?

It's not a stupid question and the hook/logline is more important than some people here seem to think. Some writers say that it is useful to test a logline by sending it to producers first and than write the script.

I am not going to repeat my error and repeat the logline. I posted on different forums but only on one very small one all the necessary information. Maybe this could come out to be important.

Concerning uniqueness: I showed the the thing a writer I could trust and she couldn't believe it herself.

It is really impossible to come up with my story accidentally. However if one really looks through all the relevant major hits and has a good geographic/general education than it might be possible to come up with the hook.

Nevertheless I will never post anything like an idea in a forum. Peer review is really really important but it seems as it can be done only with persons you know.

I A few years ago, a company I was working for contracted out a designer to create a logo for one of our products. We ended up shelving the project, did not display the logo, and did not have it trademarked. A year later, a company in a completely different country launched a realted product with a very similar logo.

A friend of mine developed a logo once, showed it a company and they actually did steal it.

Thanks for your quick responses!

Nadjeschda
 

Cyia

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It is really impossible to come up with my story accidentally. However if one really looks through all the relevant major hits and has a good geographic/general education than it might be possible to come up with the hook.

You're assuming your idea is totally unique, and there just aren't many cases of that happening. At all. Ever. People who are exposed to similar ideas and concepts are capable of devoloping similar stories totally independent of each other, and it happens all the time. Sometimes it's just a case of who gets to print (or producer) first.

A young man finds out discovers that he possesses great power and is destined to battle a great evil. Orphaned at birth, his journey leads him to mentors and friends that show him family is a matter of perspective.

It's cheesy - and not a great logline - but the point is, this could mean Star Wars, Harry Potter, or Eragon. All totally different, and yet... not so much.
 

Nadjeschda

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Sorry

I can only repeat: the idea was a lot more specific than any example here. Nobody would like to have such a close competitor.

However I have thought a lot about probabilities now. What I might really massively underestimate is the power of numbers.

I came about the idea accidentally and didn't know than that it would fit so well in the portfolio of certain companies. However if there are say 500 writers who target this specific companies than sooner or later somebody will come up with a similar concept.

I'll try to be more fair to "the writing community" next time.
 

dpaterso

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OK, let's accept what you're saying, your unique idea was plagiarized by someone.

What now? Are you considering legal action? To obtain any kind of satisfaction you need to put your material and their material in front of a neutral authority for comparison.

-Derek
 

Nadjeschda

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Are you volunteering :)

After having better informed myself I think I would just have a chance if I can make a direct connection - meaning that the author was one of the people I actually send my first draft to. And even than as Blondchen pointed out it does not seem to be easy.

However I can not believe that anybody could be that stupid.

The only thing which I am pondering is how to treat release forms. In the moment companies are asking for my script but one of them could -well- rather be waiting for the release form ...
 

Sheryl Nantus

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Are you volunteering :)

After having better informed myself I think I would just have a chance if I can make a direct connection - meaning that the author was one of the people I actually send my first draft to. And even than as Blondchen pointed out it does not seem to be easy.

However I can not believe that anybody could be that stupid.

The only thing which I am pondering is how to treat release forms. In the moment companies are asking for my script but one of them could -well- rather be waiting for the release form ...

this doesn't make sense.

are you saying you're going to contact the author and confront him/her?

release forms?

what?

:Shrug:
 

Nadjeschda

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clarification

What I am wanting to say is that I only have a case when I can proof that there was a direct exchange between me and the other writer.

"A legal release is a legal instrument that acts to terminate any legal liability between the releasor and the releasee(s) signed by the releasor. A release may also be made orally in some circumstances. Releases are routinely used by photographers, in film production, by documentary filmmakers, or by radio and music producers" (wikipedia)

I would love to speak to the author but I don't know his name.
 

BAY

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Do you have a book or script?

A logline is one or two sentences not a script with characters and story arc. While you do have the contest to back you up, I don't see how you can call it libel, unless you've developed a story or script from it.

I do sympathize with your pain. Sorry.
 

Cybernaught

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All of our ideas originate from our own subconsciouses. We either read, see, hear or experience something that influences our ideas. Perhaps you've seen a few movies that had an influence. This other person could've seen the same movies as you, and have been influenced just the same.
 
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