werepeLeri:

At last the movie  title gets changed to "All Things Fall Apart" - the old nigga man looses  160million Naira and 50 cents will rake in over $100 million from the film. Who wins at the end?

LOL

werepeLeri:

at the end of the day - the old Nigga man is happy with the addition of the word All -

End of story.

Werepe, I thought you always support anything "Nigerian" o or Na only politicians you dey support? 

What happened now? are you being sarcastic? Or is this your mumu brother using your laptop? 

werepeLeri:

WTF.

So because someone used a Title for a book written since when, then, no one should use the title again? Did he buy the copyright to the title? How many movies out there that bear or even has the same name? Come on.

The funniest part is this- you claim the book is famous worldwide and yet the guy havent even heard of the title before - LOL. Famous indeed.

Where are the legal luminaries in the house - how many books worldwide share the same title with movies?

Abeg - what is the team out to achieve? I cant understand .

So because a dimwitted American Rapper with an high school diploma has not read a particular book before, then the book is not famous?

Please return werepeLeri's laptop back to him. Thank you

I have the greatest respect for the good Prof.
But the jury remains out on whether this is the wisest of decisions.

Isn't imitation supposed to be the best form of flattery?

William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)
       THE SECOND COMING

    Turning and turning in the widening gyre
    The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
    Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
    Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
    The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
    The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
    The best lack all conviction, while the worst
    Are full of passionate intensity.

    Surely some revelation is at hand;
    Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
    The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
    When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
    Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
    A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
    A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
    Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
    Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

    The darkness drops again but now I know
    That twenty centuries of stony sleep
    Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
    And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
    Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

*ALL* things fall apart

I salute you G G GGGGG-UNIT!

what's the argument about? if 50 wasn't convinced, i'm sure he wouldn't have offered that kind of money to keep the tittle. imagine 50 offering $1m to someone! guys, he was sucked in you know where!

whups

Guys make una leave 50cent make e bi. All those guys una just dey speak english. 50cent way no go school dey dish out 1m. Make una speak english die. Money can buy english but english can't buy money. Think am twice b4 you say anything

Achebe you are wise many nigerians should emulate you

Thanks walcolm for the info, "things fall apart is not just a book" its a movie, so u cannot have another movie named/titled with the same "THINGS FALL APART" from a different person. chao

I hate to say this but there are a bunch of dull people on nairaland right now, Things Fall Apart is the Title of Achebe's Novel and a Movie has been made in that name too; and that makes it unavailable as far as copyright laws are concerned. Thae fact that Things Fall Apart forms a line in that poem does not make it the title of the poem/work and that makes it available. Whoeber quoted that poem needs to be straightened out out. Much love to Achebe for not selling himself short. Mr Guerilla, the fact that Yeats used the word 'REVELATION' in one of his lines does not deter me from naming a movie REVELATION. Who is this eGuerilla sef??

Don't let yourselves be fooled by someone who claims to know it all when common sense eludes him so easily. Achebe did nothing! God bless Nigeria

the first thing am seeing most of nairalanders supporting with one voice. hmmm pop Achebe u are truely ours.

......

MManuel:

I hate to say this but there are a bunch of dull people on nairaland right now, Things Fall Apart is the Title of Achebe's Novel and a Movie has been made in  that name too; and that makes it unavailable as far as copyright laws are concerned. Thae fact that Things Fall Apart forms a line in that poem does not make it the title of the poem/work and that makes it available. Whoeber quoted that poem needs to be straightened out out. Much love to Achebe for not selling himself short. Mr Guerilla, the fact that Yeats used the word 'REVELATION' in one of his lines does not deter  me from naming a movie REVELATION. Who is this eGuerilla sef??

I never said Yeats owes the rights to the title despite your undisguised call for sacrosanctity.
It was in the interest of posterity that I provided what some literary experts have long assumed to be the backdrop which inspired the book title, and nothing more.
Did you read the poem at all?

Did Title did not changed still, i watch it the Full Movie yesterday the Title is still Things Fall Apart

where is Boko haram now? this is when we need them most to bomb this yeye 50kobo abi wetin e call himself? let him go and buy his father's urine with his stinking money.

How much does e have sef? when they hear africa, they think of poverty. Oga Achebe, thanks for making proud. Africa may be poor, amidst the povery, we still have dignity, honour and courage.

50kobo, GO TO HELL WITH YOUR MONEY!!!

MManuel:

Don't let yourselves be fooled by someone who claims to know it all when common sense eludes him so easily. Achebe did nothing! God bless Nigeria

didn't he write the book? GOD bless Nigeria indeed!!

isleman:

where is Boko haram now? this is when we need them most to bomb this yeye 50kobo abi wetin e call himself? let him go and buy his father's urine with his stinking money.

How much does e have sef? when they hear africa, they think of poverty. Oga Achebe, thanks for making proud. Africa may be poor, amidst the povery, we still have dignity, honour and courage.

50kobo, GO TO HELL WITH YOUR MONEY!!!

Keep your nonsense to yourself if you don't know what you're talking about.

How much did PA Chinua Achebe pay William Butler Yeats for using the title of the novel taken from his popular poem The Second Coming?

There are many films with the same titles with books and other works.

This ignorant nonsense is just publicity stunt or 50 Cent is daft and cannot tell the famous author of Things Fall Apart that he does not have any copyright over the title.

Another NIGERIAN NONSENSE!

MManuel:

I hate to say this but there are a bunch of dull people on nairaland right now, Things Fall Apart is the Title of Achebe's Novel and a Movie has been made in  that name too; and that makes it unavailable as far as copyright laws are concerned.

That's simply not true. Stop, think, and try and verify your claims before just making assertions. Nothing stops two unrelated movies from having the same title.

How many Nigerian Of Baba's age can hold back with that pledge from 50 cent? Talk true,

^ Obj nko?

My God!
How can we be debating about this copyright law. I just wished I'm allowed to say ' Physics QED, SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH! you can't even QED your own right'. But I wouldn't.
@Oldtime, thanks amillion for the brake down of a very good lecture, sounding and remaining me of one of Africa greatest writer(Prof. Achebe).
Then, your those that don't understand 'copyright' law. That Yeats used a phrase in his book, don't not make it his copy. MTN- Used the 'everywhere you go' does not make it their company's name.
Our own Achebe(Prof). Bought and paid for that PHRASE as TITLE to HIS BOOK and a MOVIE.
If 50 Cent did not know about copyright laws, some people on this naija page, he wouldn't have offered 1million dollar insult to Prof's legal team for their client. He would have gone to court instead.
A copyright that the owner would not sell for 1 billion US dollars. I'm totally proud of you my greater mentor.
A true great Igbo, true Nigerian, and A TRUE GREAT AFRICAN MAN.
"I doff for Prof. The gods are wise".

My God!
How can we be debating about this copyright law. I just wished I'm allowed to say ' Physics QED, SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH! you can't even QED your own right'. But I wouldn't.
@Oldtime, thanks amillion for the brake down of a very good lecture, sounding and reminding me of one of Africa greatest writer(Prof. Achebe).
Then, for those that don't understand 'copyright' law.
That Yeats used a phrase in his book, does not make it his copy. MTN- Used the 'everywhere you go' does not make it their company's name.
Our own Achebe(Prof). Bought and paid for that PHRASE as TITLE to HIS BOOK and a MOVIE.
If 50 Cent did not know about copyright laws, like some people on this naija page, he wouldn't have offered 1million dollar insult to Prof's legal team for their client. He would have gone to court instead.
A copyright that the owner would not sell for 1 billion US dollars. I'm totally proud of you my greater mentor.
A true great Igbo, true Nigerian, and A TRUE GREAT AFRICAN MAN.
"I doff for Prof. The gods are wise".

ExplicitView:

My God!
How can we be debating about this copyright law. I just wished I'm allowed to say ' Physics QED, SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH! you can't even QED your own right'. But I wouldn't.
If 50 Cent did not know about copyright laws, like some people on this naija page, he wouldn't have offered 1million dollar insult to Prof's legal team for their client. He would have gone to court instead.

No one is calling our good prof's contribution to literature, the world over, into question.
But the issue of copyright, which is the focus of this thread, is not quite as cut and dry as some who are obsequious to a fault will like to believe.
As someone who owns an actual copy of "Things fall apart", a 1999 release by the Roots (one of the most innovative Hip Hop groups around) , I know this first hand.

I don't know why 50 backed down in this instance, but I am glad he did.

What does copyright protect?

Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section "What Works Are Protected."

Note: "Things fall apart" (Achebe) is different from "Things fall apart" (Roots).
In the same vein, "Things fall apart" (Roots) is different from "Things fall apart" (Zomby) and "Things falls apart" (Modenine)
Modenine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zOTL_tDUpE&feature=related
Zomby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEEI6VwMIek&ob=av3e

How do I protect my idea?

Copyright does not protect ideas, concepts, systems, or methods of doing something. You may express your ideas in writing or drawings and claim copyright in your description, but be aware that copyright will not protect the idea itself as revealed in your written or artistic work.

Source: http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-protect.html

How do I copyright a name, title, slogan or logo?

Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases. In some cases, these things may be protected as trademarks. Contact the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office,             800-786-9199      , for further information. However, copyright protection may be available for logo artwork that contains sufficient authorship. In some circumstances, an artistic logo may also be protected as a trademark.

When I searched the US trademarks database for "things for apart", here is what I uncovered:

Word Mark THINGS FALL APART
Goods and Services (ABANDONED) IC 035. US 100 101 102. G & S: band name for use of the name for cds and tshirts. FIRST USE: 20030101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20040707
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 78523230
Filing Date November 27, 2004
Current Filing Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Owner (APPLICANT) James Robert Smith INDIVIDUAL UNITED STATES 4715 Smick Street Philadelphia PENNSYLVANIA 19127
Type of Mark SERVICE MARK
Register PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator DEAD
Abandonment Date December 30, 2005

Trademark for "Biggie Smalls" : http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=doc&state=4008:pkqr5p.4.1
Filing Date: April 18, 2006
Owner: (APPLICANT) NOTORIOUS LLC VOLETTA WALLACE LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE C/O WLODINGUER ERK & CHAND 22 W. 2 1 ST NEW YORK NEW YORK 10010

Search for any US registered trade mark: http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/gate.exe?f=tess&state=4008:pkqr5p.1.1

ExplicitView:

My God!
How can we be debating about this copyright law. I just wished I'm allowed to say ' Physics QED, SHUT UP YOUR MOUTH! you can't even QED your own right'. But I wouldn't.
@Oldtime, thanks amillion for the brake down of a very good lecture, sounding and reminding me of one of Africa greatest writer(Prof. Achebe).
Then, for those that don't understand 'copyright' law.
That Yeats used a phrase in his book, does not make it his copy. MTN- Used the 'everywhere you go' does not make it their company's name.
Our own Achebe(Prof). Bought and paid for that PHRASE as TITLE to HIS BOOK and a MOVIE.
If 50 Cent did not know about copyright laws, like some people on this naija page, he wouldn't have offered 1million dollar insult to Prof's legal team for their client. He would have gone to court instead.
A copyright that the owner would not sell for 1 billion US dollars. I'm totally proud of you my greater mentor.
A true great Igbo, true Nigerian, and A TRUE GREAT AFRICAN MAN.
"I doff for Prof. The gods are wise".

You're a dumbass.

Title of movies in America is governed by a self-regulating system.

Achebe may have registered the title "Things Fall Apart". By doing do 50s movie studio may not have wanted to or not been able to use the same title without Achebe's permission.

Whether or not Achebe had actually released a movie in America or not is not necessary. Things Fall Apart is already in movie format (Nigerian series) and it is possible Achebe may well have registered the title with the US self regulating system in place.

A movie title cannot traditionally be copyrighted as movie titles are likely not an "original idea".

Controversy is one style of marketing.

Look at all the exposure 50c has gained from black around the world.

The rapper might have been very aware of Chinua's book title (he knows how to Google, doesn't he?), but deliberately used it so as to gain publicity through a beef.

I am sure 50c is no stranger to beefs!

ALL LIESSSSSS below is a screen shot of the movie. 50 CENT WAS NOT FORCED TO ADD ANY THING TO THE TITLE.