Jul
30
Copyright Infringement?
Posted by Admin under Copyrights
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Question by special_ned: Copyright Infringement?
I am a novelist, and I was wondering what is considered copyright infringement? If I was to write a book about a character fighting a monster such as a zombie, werewolf, vampire, demon, etc. would places like Capcom and other places pounce on me? I’m not saying that my story would be a total rip-off but, it has concepts that appear in a lot of horror movies/books. Can you copyright things like government cover ups, secret organizations, etc. ?
Best answer:
Answer by Anwsers
Chekout this site, it would provide you with alot of information about copyright infringement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_infringement
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
July 30th, 2010 at 1:54 pm
No, but if you started making them named/look like darkstalkers, you’re dead.
July 30th, 2010 at 2:36 pm
I think the work must be “Substantially similar” to the one which is said to be infringed upon.
Those words “substantially similar” appeared in the legal documents served to a friend of mine over copyright infringement.
July 30th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
government cover ups and secret organizations are secret for a reason, you can usually write about them, but..i’m not sure you will sell anything or be published.
but it depends what your government secret is, if it’s aliens, then they won’t mind because..well they love that rumor.
July 30th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
You just can’t phrase it at all in the same way, nor name it nearly the same, nor have it all play out the same way as some other genre you’ve already seen this ‘concept’ in or on.
As for conspiracies… they remain in the public domain, I believe. (yeah, I’m being a smart-aleck, but not to you– to those who engineer conspiracies.)
If you have any doubts, read your “Writer’s Market” book again, or call your agent, or go to the library and ask for a book about copyright.
Best of luck–
July 30th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
i am going to say no because this is the very same method used by many other novelists and people in media to get to the stage that Capcom is in right now. most of todays horror ideas are anything but original, they were just taken from an unknown and they were brought attention to by big movie and game companies.
July 30th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
This is the way it works. If and when you sell your book to a publisher, they have a legal department that will go over it with a fine toothed comb. If there is anything they find bothersome due to copyright infringements, they will ask you to remove it. However if you already suspect it is too close, it probably is. So as an author, use your imagination to find a creative way around the problem. That is how authors work. I have had to do this on several occasions. Pax-C