sure, though i'm still at the thinking stage. I went to an All-Girls catholic school , kind of hard for me to get any inspiration frm that. m sure i'd come up wit sth soon.

LMAO, this thread has degenerated into some kind of jesters feedback. I should say, I have been amused by some of the posts.

@ Seun,

Quick valid question (it is not for self interest, as your competition does not interest me in the slighest as a writer) -

Knowing a considerable deal about the writing industry generally, I can say that it is the usual practice that once a winner of a writing competition is chosen, the work is published (as well as a few others e.g 2nd and 3rd best story. . . and sometimes highly commended stories too). Now under those circumstances, after the usual contracts etc., the work gets published and credited to the appropriate writer, and that's the end of it. The losers are left to lick their wounds and console themselves that they may have better luck next time. Hell, they may even submit the same story to another publication or competition, and unless they are dealing with unethical contests, their works/ideas are not usually plagiarised by the judges.

The problem with your "competition" is that while you may well like and indeed choose one story above all others, it will be unlikely that you will not "borrow" or "nick" ideas, scenarios, and maybe even huge pieces from the works of one or more of the losers. Don't get me wrong, I do not think you are a swindler (well, I don't know you personally, so I hope you aren't), but if you are going to personally read and review each entry and select the winner, it is inevitable that these myriad of ideas from all the stories you read would swirl in your mind and you will end up regurgitating them as your "original" film script (to be touted as based on the winning story you chose, which it solely won't be) to the detriment of those writers who may subsequently be unable to use their losing story or at the very least, they would be worse off, having contributed to your project without any remuneration nor credits. Like I said, it may happen (and does not have to be as a result of a sinister plot on your part) because we all are influenced by what we read/see etc. That is why in creative writing exercises, when students have been given a topic to write on, there is usually a rich diversity to be seen in the works, but when subsequently, those same students are given a couple of texts to read and told to repeat the writing exercise, there are usually to be found many themes and similarities running through almost all (if not all) of them, which have come from the prescribed texts.

Question -
Are you going to give all the writers who submit their stories to you the assurance that even if they do not get the prize money, they will at least get film credits should any part of their work form part of your script? (and no, I am not talking about general/common school anecdotes that might be common to most if not all stories you receive).

^{Before anyone goes on about how the question was not quick, It was a short question (one sentence). Na all the foreword yabis dey long-winded.}

SMC:

LMAO, this thread has degenerated into some kind of jesters feedback. I should say, I have been amused by some of the posts.

@ Seun,

Quick valid question (it is not for self interest, as your competition does not interest me in the slighest as a writer) -

Knowing a considerable deal about the writing industry generally, I can say that it is the usual practice that once a winner of a writing competition is chosen, the work is published (as well as a few others e.g 2nd and 3rd best story. . . and sometimes highly commended stories too). Now under those circumstances, after the usual contracts etc., the work gets published and credited to the appropriate writer, and that's the end of it. The losers are left to lick their wounds and console themselves that they may have better luck next time. Hell, they may even submit the same story to another publication or competition, and unless they are dealing with unethical contests, their works/ideas are not usually plagiarised by the judges.

The problem with your "competition" is that while you may well like and indeed choose one story above all others, it will be unlikely that you will not "borrow" or "nick" ideas, scenarios, and maybe even huge pieces from the works of one or more of the losers. Don't get me wrong, I do not think you are a swindler (well, I don't know you personally, so I hope you aren't), but if you are going to personally read and review each entry and select the winner, it is inevitable that these myriad of ideas from all the stories you read would swirl in your mind and you will end up regurgitating them as your "original" film script (to be touted as based on the winning story you chose, which it solely won't be) to the detriment of those writers who may subsequently be unable to use their losing story or at the very least, they would be worse off, having contributed to your project without any remuneration nor credits. Like I said, it may happen (and does not have to be as a result of a sinister plot on your part) because we all are influenced by what we read/see etc. That is why in creative writing exercises, when students have been given a topic to write on, there is usually a rich diversity to be seen in the works, but when subsequently, those same students are given a couple of texts to read and told to repeat the writing exercise, there are usually to be found many themes and similarities running through almost all (if not all) of them, which have come from the prescribed texts.

Question -
Are you going to give all the writers who submit their stories to you the assurance that even if they do not get the prize money, they will at least get film credits should any part of their work form part of your script? (and no, I am not talking about general/common school anecdotes that might be common to most if not all stories you receive).

^{Before anyone goes on about how the question was not quick, It was a short question (one sentence). Na all the foreword yabis dey long-winded.}

Lol! Your last line cracked me up.

Moving on, let’s see if I understand what you are asking here. . . during the reading process, the reader comes across something in one script, say a Character hides behind a door and something comical ensues, the reader likes it but not the entire story. He moves on to the next script, he likes the entire script but thinks it needs a little comic relief, so he finds a way to work something similar to hiding behind the door scene into it. Your question, if I understand correctly is – Will the owner of the first script be credited? From my experience, the answer is NOPE.

If Seun uses someone story in its entirety without giving credit, the writer can say his script had a DIRECT INFLUENCE on Sean’s movie. However, if he uses idea from scripts. . . Seun has the concept of INSPIRATIONAL SOURCE backing him. So to reiterate, it is NOT a crime to be inspired by others, it is a crime to steal someone’s work in its entirety without crediting them. . . but that isn’t what Seun is doing here.

Every year, from March to June/July, networks start shopping for new shows for the fall season. They put out ads, calling every writer from Alabama to Timbuktu to send in story ideas and tens of thousands respond. They have readers, mostly interns fresh out film school, who are given specific instructions on what kind of of storyline they are looking for. More often than not, what they are looking for is something close to a hit show from the past season. For instance, after the first CSI show became a hit. . . networks started shopping around for procedural shows like that. Same thing with Desperate Housewives, suddenly we had cashmere Mafia etc.

The scripts are divided into categories – Very Sure thing (100% of what the network is looking for), Sure Thing (75-99%), Maybe (45-75%) and anything below 45% is not discarded, they go into another category and then there are scripts the reader might find something interesting in. He's not sure if it would be useful but he makes note of it. Say the network is unable to come to an agreement with the writers of script from the Very Sure thing bracket and they really want a show like that, they can decide to pick scripts from the sure thing or maybe bracket and try to amp it up, at this point our freshed faced intern can say. . . you know, if we did this and add that we might have thus (I'm sorry, I was looking for something to go with this and that) and where did This and That come from. . . you guessed it, one of the other scripts.

Do you think the Networks are taking down names of the writers whose scripts they got ideas from? Heck No! The only way to safe guard your ideas is to keep it in your head and should you decide to purge it out, put it under lock and key, where it won’t see the light of day…ever!  Writers trying to break into the business know this; they understand that the moment their script leaves their hands, they have no control. Except he uses the script from beginning to end, Seun has no obligation to credit someone for an idea.

Apart from sending scripts, writers are also invited to pitch to studio heads. Anyone who has gone to film school knows this is your moment to shine, you better bring all you’ve got or else. Network heads can listen to over 50 writers in one day, except there is a way to unhear [/i]what they hear, I don’t see how they won’t get some ideas from the stories. At the end of the day, they may not pick any of the stories they’ve heard but you can bet your bottom dollar on it that they will find an idea, a concept they can build on. I’ve give you an example:

I, Sisikill a starving writer, meet with the Head Honchos at ABC to pitch my idea for a show.

[i]Mark is a Cop with a blind dog solving crimes, they live in a small town in Kaduna, He is divorced with 3 children and has a hard time paying child support which causes conflict with his ex wife. Once in a while, in order to make ends meet, he takes bribes from the Mob to look the other way. The other cops in his precinct don’t like him because he is a hot head; he has no friends except his dog.

The Studio likes the idea of the Bond between Man and Dog but instead of going with the pitched Story, they decide to this instead

John is an ordinary guy who loves to solve crime in his spare time. He has one eyed a dog, they live in a big city in Lagos. He fun loving guy and he always has women trouble because he is a love ‘em and leave ‘em type.  Once in awhile he breaks the law to make sure justice is done. His neighbors don't like him because of his suspicious late night dealings. He has no real friends except his dog.

Do you think they are thinking “Hey, someone get the name of that scrawny looking thing who pitched us the idea of a dog and man, so we can credit her” As if! How do I want it? LMAO

Again, ALL writers are aware of this but does it stop them from going to pitching sessions or sending their stories in? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

I think the sooner people realize that Ideas are not copyrightable, only their expressions are so if someone uses an idea then there is little recourse, the better for us all.

I will never understand why we have to make a mountain out of a Molehill.

you all make really valid points and i'm not going to classify myself as either for or against. but SISIKILL i think u just have the writers gift of making anything look really credible even without the least bit of objectivity, just cos you know,,,you can.

i think SMC has made the most objective sense in all. she got her points spot on , and while sisikill you may be interested and excited about this and use ur good writing t try to convince others it doesnt mean that ur view is the only valid one. (hitler was able to convince his fellow men that gassing the jews was a good idea, with words).

yes i know that as writers we get to put ourselves and our ideas out there with the risk of being plagiarised but we get to choose what risks we want to take and if some people are not comfortable with the whole arrangement then by God let them express themselves without u trying to use ur superior writin to make them look silly. cos they are not.

like SMC said as a writer this competition doesnt interest me, not because of the paltry sum, and inspite of Seuns reputation, which by the way we know nothing of Se)un other than you being the "successful founder of nairaland" (modestys not your strong point no?) but just cos i think as a writer in nigeria where u need to make it really big to be big its just going to be a distraction with not enough foreseeable dividends.

and yeah that guy that said one day someone asks who wrote that story and then BANG, God i loved that, funny as hell , but yeah, not too likely in naija. if we were in jand maybe. really how many naija movies have u asked that question about, maybe "keeping faith" BUT then what did u do about it? NOTHING.

ITS ALL ABOUT ODDS. and everyones entitled to pick theirs and what they want to run with. so please let them. it works the other way too. if u not interested just say why but dont go discouraging people who are interested.

NOW SISIKILL please this is not a call to battle. ur like a writing sister to me. dont go writing some long essay back at me and then i'd have to come back with a witty response and we'd go back and forth. its tiring. i know you know that we have that south african competition thingy to be writing for in the literary section. that and my two personal projects plus having to read two chimamanda books b4 her conference kicks off, i really dont have the time.

please SISIKILL lets work on more worthy projects that can get nigerias name out there. lets leave the local screenplay writing for well, local screenplay writers.
not dissing Seuns project nooo, far from it but i think there are too many holes in it to be of any real interest.

Seun you really shouldnt use your standing as the "successful founder of nairaland" to get people to throw you a bunch of ideas from which you will , to borrow SMC's words , nick off ideas from several of them to create your classic or your flop. not because you mean to plagiarise, but because its naturally human to do that, to be influenced by what we read and somehow twist it enough that it starts to seem like its a fresh idea, ur idea, but its not. thats why serious writing competitions are organized by serious literary organizations who try to cut down these risks.

well goodluck on that and to all, just wanted to add my two bit, hope i didnt offend.

all these long winded pieces of "advice", a good story would long have been submitted if you all bothered to try.

@chukky76
Wha. . . why. . . who. . . how. . .

Takes deep breath

Did you just compare me to. . . to. . . Hitler? Haba! Not even Sadam, I'll even take Osama but Hitler? What did I do now?   

I see what you mean and honestly, I am not trying to convince anyone to do anything, I guess it just pissed me off that instead of asking questions and try to find out more,  some people went straight for the jugular and just started calling names. In some way, this thread has been an eye opener, every time there’s a thread about Nollywood, I’m usually one of the first going on and on about how bad the movies are, how horrible the stories, how they need writers instead of having their wives’ brother’s sister in law’s son  to jot something down for them. . . but now, I’m just going to shut up (Just for 2 hrs or the first 30 posts, whichever comes first. I can’t promise more than that).  How do we expect the industry to grow, if we’re not willing to invest in it? Anyway, that’s a topic for another day.


I didn't think my response to SMC was biased and I'd like to think my post came off credible because things I stated are based on reality. My intention was to show how  unrealistic the notion that people have rights to IDEAS and anyone who uses it must give credit. I hate to sound like a broken record (abi is it too late?) but again. . .

The Delivery or Expression of an Idea - Credit is given.
An Idea - No Credit.

The only way to safe gaurd your idea is by not "giving birth" to it in the first place. Any writer who wants to send his/her work and expects the people who read not to get ideas from it, should just put it under their pillows.

I like that you said everyone is entitled to pick their odds, many have done that, it was just for us to end scen and go our merry way but when you have people coming here and saying things like it's illegal, it's a scam not because they have evidence but because they think it is, then we're going to have to go at it. . . I don't mean jungle fighting, I mean each side proving their point. Simple!

Another thing, when we as a the next gene. . . . oh wait, give me a sec to do preview, let me see how long this post is. . .

Ah, okay I have passed my limit. . . I guess i will just swallow the rest of it. 

Good Night my writing brother and about other things you suggested, I am DOWN for it. As you've obviously seen, anything that has to do with writing shacks me like ogogoro, I become like an old man who mistakenly fell into a tub of fresh palm wine.

How will the winner know? If one is tempted to commit to writing?

davidylan:
all these long winded pieces of "advice", a good story would long have been submitted if you all bothered to try. 

Thank you, my brother.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.  I can get a million ideas without paying a dime.  We live in a world where it's impossible to come up with a completely original idea.  Trust me, I've tried.  There's no movie idea that hasn't been used at least once in a Hollywood movie (search imdb.com, wikipedia.org).  Even on Nairaland, there are a million and one ideas that people have provided free of charge, because mere ideas do not have any monetary value.

Your job as a writer is not to come up with ideas.  Your job is to take ideas from real life, history, the news, anecdotes, Nairaland, your personal life, public domain fiction, and your imagination, and weave them together into a neat story.  As a writer, think of yourself as a sculptor.  You don't get paid for the clay with which your sculptures are made, you get paid for what you make with the clay.  Writers don't get paid for original ideas; they get paid for the fresh yarns they construct using ideas gathered from a million and one sources and expertly weaved together.

I'm not here to look for ideas.  I am an idea machine myself.  But it takes a good writer to take common ideas and create a compelling story out of them; and a good writer is what I'm looking for.

serious writing competitions are organized by serious literary organizations who try to cut down these risks.

As writers, the judges in "serious literary organizations" have a greater incentive to steal your ideas. The reality is that most ideas are not worth stealing, and the ones worth stealing may not even be original.

Are you going to give all the writers who submit their stories to you the assurance that even if they do not get the prize money, they will at least get film credits should any part of their work form part of your script?

Yes, if I ever need to borrow anything from any other contestant's story, I will ask for permission first.

seun do you think you can accept a hand written story , my typing skill is a bit slow and i intend writing a, say 3500 word story

k Arthur:

seun do you think you can accept a hand written story , my typing skill is a bit slow and i intend writing a, say 3500 word story

Yes. Just make sure the story is really good. Really moving, really juicy, really educational, really realistic.

Sisikill:

Moving on, let’s see if I understand what you are asking here . . . during the reading process, the reader comes across something in one script, say a Character hides behind a door and something comical ensues, the reader likes it but not the entire story. He moves on to the next script, he likes the entire script but thinks it needs a little comic relief, so he finds a way to work something similar to hiding behind the door scene into it. Your question, if I understand correctly is – Will the owner of the first script be credited? From my experience, the answer is NOPE.

Nah, you have not understood my question at all. All you have done is using your analogy to oversimplify a clear question.

Sisikill:

If Seun uses someone story in its entirety without giving credit, the writer can say his script had a DIRECT INFLUENCE on Sean’s movie. However, if he uses idea from scripts. . . Seun has the concept of INSPIRATIONAL SOURCE backing him. So to reiterate, it is NOT a crime to be inspired by others, it is a crime to steal someone’s work in its entirety without crediting them. . . but that isn’t what Seun is doing here.

You obviously know nothing of copyright and intellectual property law. A person's work does not have to be taken or used in "it's entirety" before credit has to be given. If a writer can prove without a doubt that a film or book has ripped off his work, he or she can have a cause of action. It could be a distinct scene or sequence that has been nicked. It does not have to be the "entire" story. Like someone in the business rightly said "if they use anything you have developed yourself - e.g.: structure, dialogue, attitude, point of view, theme, invented characters and scenes or even your own private research - then that is rightly your copyright." 

I think you got carried away in trying to come to the defence of Seun and thus decided to latch on to the word "idea", interpreting it as narrowly as possible and conveniently ignoring the fact that I had said "ideas, scenarios, and maybe even huge pieces". Strictly speaking, it is undoubtedly the position under copyright laws that mere ideas cannot be protected nor form the basis of an action for infringement. And that is why I used the term loosely (in conjunction with other terms), stating clearly that the end of my piece that I was not "talking about  general/common school anecdotes that might be common" to what he might receive ^{(and just before you go there, anecdote is to be interpreted in the widest form possible).}

Sisikill:

Every year, from March to June/July, networks start shopping for new shows for the fall season. They put out ads, calling every writer from Alabama to Timbuktu to send in story ideas and tens of thousands respond. They have readers, mostly interns fresh out film school, who are given specific instructions on what kind of of storyline they are looking for. More often than not, what they are looking for is something close to a hit show from the past season. For instance, after the first CSI show became a hit. . . networks started shopping around for procedural shows like that. Same thing with Desperate Housewives, suddenly we had cashmere Mafia etc.

The scripts are divided into categories – Very Sure thing (100% of what the network is looking for), Sure Thing (75-99%), Maybe (45-75%) and anything below 45% is not discarded, they go into another category and then there are scripts the reader might find something interesting in. He's not sure if it would be useful but he makes note of it. Say the network is unable to come to an agreement with the writers of script from the Very Sure thing bracket and they really want a show like that, they can decide to pick scripts from the sure thing or maybe bracket and try to amp it up, at this point our freshed faced intern can say. . . you know, if we did this and add that we might have thus (I'm sorry, I was looking for something to go with this and that) and where did This and That come from. . . you guessed it, one of the other scripts.

Do you think the Networks are taking down names of the writers whose scripts they got ideas from? Heck No! The only way to safe guard your ideas is to keep it in your head and should you decide to purge it out, put it under lock and key, where it won’t see the light of day…ever!  Writers trying to break into the business know this; they understand that the moment their script leaves their hands, they have no control. Except he uses the script from beginning to end, Seun has no obligation to credit someone for an idea.

Apart from sending scripts, writers are also invited to pitch to studio heads. Anyone who has gone to film school knows this is your moment to shine, you better bring all you’ve got or else. Network heads can listen to over 50 writers in one day, except there is a way to unhear [/i]what they hear, I don’t see how they won’t get some ideas from the stories. At the end of the day, they may not pick any of the stories they’ve heard but you can bet your bottom dollar on it that they will find an idea, a concept they can build on. I’ve give you an example:

I, Sisikill a starving writer, meet with the Head Honchos at ABC to pitch my idea for a show.

[i]Mark is a Cop with a blind dog solving crimes, they live in a small town in Kaduna, He is divorced with 3 children and has a hard time paying child support which causes conflict with his ex wife. Once in a while, in order to make ends meet, he takes bribes from the Mob to look the other way. The other cops in his precinct don’t like him because he is a hot head; he has no friends except his dog.

The Studio likes the idea of the Bond between Man and Dog but instead of going with the pitched Story, they decide to this instead

John is an ordinary guy who loves to solve crime in his spare time. He has one eyed a dog, they live in a big city in Lagos. He fun loving guy and he always has women trouble because he is a love ‘em and leave ‘em type.  Once in awhile he breaks the law to make sure justice is done. His neighbors don't like him because of his suspicious late night dealings. He has no real friends except his dog.

If you knew how a lot of those netwoks and film/production companies work, you will readily admit that they are constantly hit by lawsuits from writers who constantly complain that their works/ stories were ripped off. Admittedly, many such actions do not succeed, however, the networks do settle quite a number of them. That is why many of these companies option works from writers, and/or make the writers sign "releases" or "waivers". You will be surprised how many options production companies/networks acquire for one film/series etc (there are many times, that the works optioned end up not even being used by the production companies). Moreover, I can assure you that most of the actions filed do not complain that their work has been stolen in its entirety. An example of one such action was the one against NBC for 'Heroes' (though I believe this action failed). Another lawsuit was the case against Simon Cowell by Simon Fuller for the X-Factor series. Mr Fuller took legal action "after seeing what he believed were clear similarities between the X-Factor and Pop Idol". This was the crux of the action (although there were actions regarding breach of contract as well) and Simon Cowell settled the copyright out of court (the contract issue also got dealt with). There are many other examples I can state.

So as in your example, it would have been easy to argue that though there were similarities, there were material differences in the two shows/scripts (because there really are differences between both shows), but that defence will not avail someone who has clearly stolen anothers intellectual property and come up with his own "original" idea. The problem with you is you always attempt to simplify concerns. Rarely are issues as cut and dried as you have attempted to state them. Let me state clearly, that following the American Screen Writers Guild rules, which many western countries adopt in different forms, credits can be given to more than one writer and for a writer of an original story to be credited all he needs to have contributed is at least a third of the story. Moreover writers can be credited for themes and characters (as I have said above). Seldom is a story or work from one writer used without it being re-written (several times usually)/ worked over/snipped/changed etc before it forms the basis of a film or series or documentary etc. So, your portrayal that it is when a story is used in its entirety that Seun is obliged to give credit is cockamamie.

Sisikill:

I think the sooner people realize that Ideas are not copyrightable, only their expressions are so if someone uses an idea then there is little recourse, the better for us all.

I will never understand why we have to make a mountain out of a Molehill.

I believe I have addressed the Ideas issue. Yeah, Ideas are not protected by copyright, but works which have formed the basis of the plagiarist/thief/borrower's ideas are.

Finally, if you think that writers addressing issues of their intellectual property is making a mountain out of a molehill, then I guess you are not much of a writer, because if you are, you will know that copyright infringement/protection is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) issues that writers/authors face in their writing careers. In your response to someone's post, you say that you know Seun is going places, yet it does not occur to you that some people may also feel the same and think their stories may end up going far (who knows how far?), thus making them want to protect their interest or at least clarify their position. Like I have stated, I have no interest whatsoever in the "competition" as a writer, but as an observer, I think some strong issues need to be addressed.

Sisikill, why do you care what anyone thinks?  SMC's disapproval can't stop you from winning the prize.   Her refusal to participate significantly improves your odds, and that's a good thing (for you, not me).

Seun:

Sisikill, why do you care what anyone thinks?
SMC's disapproval can't stop you from winning the prize. 
Her refusal to participate significantly improves your chances of winning.

See me see wahala o. I do not disapprove of this competition or anyone who enters it. I actually think it is quite commendable that you are giving your Nairalanders the chance to showcase their work (that is of course if the film sees the light of day and is any good). I just thought there were some points that had not been covered. Apparently, people questioning you does not go down well with you.

Apparently, people questioning you does not go down well with you.

Anything that does not make me look like something I'm not - a scammer - goes down very well with me. If you change your mind about the competition and your story is the best, you'll still get the prize.

Seun, make it [b]$[/b]25,000, and we got a deal!!

Oh so many words for something pretty simple. . . in fact, I'm officially unsubscribing to this thread.

abi o

Seun:

If you change your mind about the competition and your story is the best, you'll still get the prize.

LOL! Believe me when I say that the "prize" you are offering can never be a motivating factor for me (I will be hard pressed to make the money stretch on a typical friday night out on the town). But let me make it clear that the remuneration has nothing at all to do with my lack of interest in the competition, as I do actually submit my work gratuitously in certain instances (It's not always about the money). This just isn't my scene, that's all.

Seun:

Sisikill, why do you care what anyone thinks?  SMC's disapproval can't stop you from winning the prize.   Her refusal to participate significantly improves your odds, and that's a good thing (for you, not me).

LOL! Honestly, it isn't about disapproval or what SMC thinks. I don't know this person from Adam and chances are our paths will never cross, what this has been for me is DISCOURAGEMENT. It irks me when Naijas make no effort whatsoever to encourage one another. . . I am finally coming to terms that not everyone subscribes to the whole "My Brother's Keeper mentality". It's sad but what can you do? I get that some people are "too much" for this competition and honestly, that is fine but why the need for all the scare tactics? Don't send your work, it would be stolen, this is a scam, this is fraud, he wants your ideas and whatnot.

The sad thing is I can bet my last dime that these same people will not hesitate to send their work to someone based in the UK or the US but since is a Nigerian website, they automatically raise up false alarms causing mass hysteria.



@ SMC
Thanks for you well thought out post on Copyrights and Intellectual Property. I'm aware of them but it's always nice to get a refresher once in a while. The reason why I focused on IDEA was because in this case. . . for Seun’s competition, the theme, the setting, the characters, the scenes, the point of views have been specified. ALL Scripts or stories will have similar characters, similar settings, similar dialogues, similar situations. . . and I thought they all fell under the BASIC idea of what was requested. Outside of this competition, you are right. . . distinguishable elements of a story are the property of the writer.

Anyway, after reading your post, I see why some people in the industry are anti-copyright. . . it is a breeding ground for paranoia. I understand we need to protect ourselves but at what cost? In this case - at the cost of what could be a worthwhile endeavor. . . again, you don't have to agree, to you and a few others, Seun may be small potatoes but for someone out there, he could be their stepping stone.

I'll confess something to you. . . I read your post 3 times, apart from the fact that Saturdays are my Brain Sleep day, something in your post struck me as very, very familiar and I'm sure you know how it is then you think you've seen, read or heard something, you never rest until you get it. You wrote and I quote "Like someone in the business rightly said "if they use anything you have developed yourself - e.g.: structure, dialogue, attitude, point of view, theme, invented characters and scenes or even your own private research - then that is rightly your copyright." .

God this line almost gave me a headache but after I figured out where I saw it, I tell ya if you were here by my side, I'd kiss you. . . okay, just a peck, Lol. You stated I oversimplified things and you are absolutely right, I did oversimplify things. . . I guess it was my attempt to show how we let little things stop is from doing bigger things, and maybe in the process, I ended up trivializing what writers do - this was not my intention. What I was trying to convey was this -  As much as we’d all like to believe we hold original ideas, we don't and the quicker we come to terms with it, the better. So no need create a huge hoopla over it, when that energy can be focused somewhere else.

As someone in the industry said. . .

[b]It is important to keep in mind that there are only so many completely original stories and ideas out there, and often many writers are inspired by the same sources (newspaper headlines, items on television, the general zeitgeist etc.).

So my point is this. Don't get too obsessed about your ideas being ripped off. It is so much easier, if a company likes your idea but not your writing, to option it from you and hire another writer to do a re-write. It saves legal headaches, and means they can get on with the project without worrying about a future lawsuit and all the uncertainty that could bring. There may well be idiotic sleazy producers out there who do this, but they are very much the exceptions to the rule. By all means take basic steps to protect yourself (I've never believed the idea about posting it to yourself, but I'm sure everyone at least knows someone who knows a lawyer who would be prepared to have a copy posted to them, if you can't afford a registration fee). Just make sure that the fear of being ripped off doesn't stop you from getting feedback to make your script better, and getting your script out there to the producers who can get your career rolling[/b]

This is another someone in the Industry

[b]Someone was worried about someone stealing their ideas based on real people-first there's no copyright on ideas and second- I will bet you anything you like- if the source of this material (real historical figures) are as interesting as you say they are- that at least a dozen writers right now are mulling over using them in stories. Basically, get it written; get it rewritten and when it's good get it out before YOU are accused of copying someone else.

Lastly- as far as I am aware- technically what IS copyright is the sequence of words you use. You can only sue for infringement- if the rival script is extremely close. So sorry you guys. Hitler, The Marx brothers; and any other person you like- can't be copyrighted- neither can you reserve real events for your own material. Of course you can always make up something completely up. I mean how many stories can there be> Oops think SP already did THAT particular subject.

In other words; no story you will write will be original; no source material is yours alone. What is unique is your version of the event or story. Your slant is what makes you a writer and not a journalist.[/b]

Another Someone in the Industry

I would like to throw in a penny on the copyright debate. From my own experience in the industry I can honestly say that if the idea is good enough; it will get made. So personally I would suggest that the energy might be better thrown into writing a better piece of material than worrying about the outside chance that one might get ripped off.

One more someone in the Industry

[b]On the subject of copyright – enough already!

Put crudely, it's like this: the chances of your idea being attractive enough for anyone to want to spend money (not writer's fees, but production expenses) turning it into a film are ooh, say, one in five hundred.

Then, even if that test is passed, the chances of your idea also being original are ooh, say, one in five hundred. You'd be amazed at the frequency with which an idea, thought by a writer to finally be the one that will have David Fincher scrambling for the phone, has actually already been thought of. We're all breathing same air, remember.

And the chances that your idea (assuming that it's both good and original) will be nicked by some scheming prodco or producer are ooh, say, one in five hundred. Firstly, if it's just your idea they nick, they're still going to have to pay thousands to some other poor sap to turn it into a script, so why not pay you instead?

Secondly, the vast majority of script buyers are basically ethical, whatever you might think. And thirdly, even the tiny minority who aren't probably won't want to engage in any dirty tricks that run the risk of ruining their reputation in what is a very small industry.

So the chances of your idea being nicked are – well, whatever one in five hundred in five hundred in five hundred is (hey, I'm a writer, not a statistician). Now, do you really think it's worth all this worry? It's like mugging and burglary: the time we spend worrying about it is way disproportionate to the chances of it actually happening.

And here's one final thought. Even if you take all the copyright measures that have been recommended here – sealing your script in a time capsule, sending it to the British Museum etc – if someone really wants to nick your idea, they will. And you will waste a lot of time, money and effort trying to prove the unproveable – i.e. that they didn't think of it themselves independently. [/b]


I thought this next one was funny

I would say that often the people who are most obsessed about protecting their ideas, scripts etc very often tend to have the most humdrum and run-of-mill stuff that no one would pinch anyway.

But I have to say overall that I'd agree that the whole thing of ideas being ripped off etc can be a colossal red herring, Scorcese's a terrible magpie and loads of classic scripts, pop songs etc wear their influences on their sleeve, it's inevitable in a creative biz.


There are many more “Someone in the Industry” who have interesting things to say about this. Seeing as you quoted one of them I know you have the link, however I’ll provide it for others who would like to get a better understanding of Copyrights, Intellectual property and to what degree they should let fear affect them.

http://www.robinkelly.btinternet.co.uk/spfaq05.htm#Copy

A mountain out of a Molehill? I still stand by it.

Once again, I'll stress this - I AM NOT TRYING TO FORCE ANYONE TO DO ANYTHING. I'll encourage writers to send their work in, use any and every opportunity that comes their way because you never know.

Jeebus! My post is so freaking long, ‘m sure I’m going to catch flack for it.

Let me provide some free ideas:
- students having innocent crushes on their teachers,
- teenage girls getting pregnant, abortion, dropping out to get married,
- students not wanting to be caught with condoms and contraceptives,
- parents forcing their children to study subjects/courses they're not interested in,
- students mocking teachers and giving them nicknames,
- teachers trading marks for sexual favors,
- cultism,
- desperation and violence in inter-house sports, inter-school soccer,
- students sneaking out of their hostels to meet girls or attend parties, etc.
- seniors and juniors in boarding house,
- boarding house romance,
- students not getting along with their parents,
- dull students, brilliant students, cheats, voluntary tutors and study groups,
- poor students and social outcasts versus the popular students,
- weak students having to study for WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc at the same time,
- new student arrives at school and finds it hard to cope,
- boys and girls at war with each other. academically, socially, or physically,
- student rebellion against oppressive authorities,
- a student who continues to do good even when mistreated by everyone.

Feel free to develop and use the above story ideas in your entry.  Try to make sure that by the time the story ends, principals watching it will feel it teaches their students good lessons that parents will approve of.  It should be a story about students and for students.  I can't wait to see your entries.

Sisikill: Jeebus! My post is so freaking long, ‘m sure I’m going to catch flack for it.

The only thing you might catch flack for is not concentrating on your entry and making sure it's the best one!

Lol, interesting ideas Seun.

@ Sisikill, Touche, LOL. . . glad to see you read around.  Though you could have saved yourself the unnecessary agro by google searching the quotation.

On people feeling they are too much for Seun's competition (whether or not you were referring to me) -

I do not know about you, but most writers actually pick and choose the different contests and journals/anthologies they will enter and/or submit stories to. Like me, they unfortunately cannot make submissions to everything that comes their way. I appreciate the fact that some of you guys can churn out material enmasse, sadly though it's not the same for me, as I do not write stories that fast (e.g. one moment, I was supposed to submit a story for the HISSAC contest, the next , the deadline was upon me and I still had not polished my story to my satisfaction and thus ended up not sending in an entry). Like I said previously, Seun's competition is not my scene (the same way BBC 3's call for scripts was not my scene), so if you decide to twist that to arrive to the conclusion that I think he is "small potatoes", too bad. I have actually submitted stories to a number of Nigerian and Naija based magazines and anthologies, but like I said a few lines above, I pick and choose what I submit to (and carefully too). It is my prerogative to do so (as it is for everyone else) and if for you, Seun or anyone else, that has been interpreted to mean that I (or any other person who chooses not to enter Seun's Competition) feel that I am "too much" for the competition, again, that's just too bad.

@ seun,

i have 2 stories that fit in the category though each is not more than 3 pages (750 words)

should i submit? though am not particular about the prize.

hi seun how are u doing my name is taiwo

I don t understand why We Nigerians are so much about deliberations on every little issue.If any body doesn't like the idea of writing for a piece of cake, he can just look and move on.

Let me just remind us all that we are invincible people here and nobody is going to see you on the road tomorrow and go "Hey thats the guy who said this or that on naira land".

If you aren't interested in the competition.Please do some other thing with your time.We are all mature people here and graduates too, therefore answerable to our actions.So anybody that goes in for the competition has his reasons, whether financial or just to see how good a writer one is,that s his own cup of tea.

k Arthur:

Let me just remind us all that we are invincible people here and nobody is going to see you on the road tomorrow and go "Hey thats the guy who said this or that on naira land".

Don't you mean invisible mate?

@ Cch3coo Thanks mate thats more like wat we are supposed to do here, SUPPORT,ENCOURAGE, MOTIVATE

Heck!
They pissed sisi off. I agree with Seun. Sisi, chill out and make sure you submit an entry. I'm rooting for you and I agree with you,, totally.

We should not look down on Seun's competition because he's a Nigerian.
Come on guys, Literati section is not a war zone.

Let's write away, we are keeping Nairaland king waiting.

No more fighting, everyone, ok?!!!!

Hey and if you enter (everyone) this competition NOT for the money and you do happen to win,

kindly forward the cheque to me. I know a few good causes that could use a few bucks.

yicob:
@seun, i have 2 stories that fit in the category though each is not more than 3 pages (750 words). should i submit? though am not particular about the prize.

Yes.  The advantage of early submission is that if your entry needs some work I can give you free notes on what and what you need to change to improve your chances of winning.  Winning is a ego-boosting reward in itself.  Then there's the joy of seeing your story in a movie.  Then there's the token prize.

you guys are just cracking me up on this thread.

people are calling seun king now? REALLY??


Seun the Nairaland king,
Seun the sage giving people writing tips so they can win =N=25,000
People scrambling around beaks open waiting for these pearls of knowledge
People removing their literary robes and placing them before him  so Seun the messiah can walk all over them with his holy feet, and his pearls of wisdom and find a being worthy enough to bestow the =N=25,000 naira sceptre



it was cute at first but seriously how far are we going to take this stupidity.