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Is stuff " Safe " here?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
Arrogant of me to suggest but if I came up with an excellent sketch and posted it here could someone just nick it and send it to a Programme editor.
Rumour has it that The Chuckle Brothers actually wrote The Office and Gervais nicked it.
Just a thought.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, ajp29 said:
If in doubt don't post your work Kent Pete. You own the copyright to any material you create and post on here but that doesn't guarantee that people won't nick it. If they do you can sue them but it may be safer to not post. Haven't heard it happen yet though but i'll repeat again if you ant to guarantee that noone will steal your work then do not post it.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
Point taken. Trust has never been fashionable in Kent. Thanks for the advice. Got to write a classic first I suppose. 
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, David Chapman said:
I'm not too concerned because at least everything is dated here - unless you edit it later and that shows also - so at least you should have some evidence if you need it - proof of posting etc.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Darren Goldsmith said:
This forum, is as much a part of the Internet as any other site/forum... so if it's total security you're after, don't post.
oh... and Hi Pete, welcome to the forum! 
Why is your avatar showing code?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, losaavedra said:
I suppose there's the possibility of word-for-word pinching versus just the general idea surfacing elsewhere. The former is easier to deal with if your stuff is dated (I occasionally batch stuff up and use the 'never opened registered letter to myself' method). The second will happen anyway (several times to me) ... but in my opinion its not because someone has pinched your idea but just that one or more other people have also thought of it ... and I don't think that's particularly surprising as there are loads of wannabee writers out there all trying to do the same thing. Will happen the other way around too. I've just dumped a Sitcom idea I'd done a fair bit of work on, called Bananas, set in S. America ... but recently found out that Woody Allan did a film with that same name and same location many years ago ... certainly long before I came up with a too similar theme. I've also got straight drama about musicians (three hours of script!) that I dumped almost immediately I finished it when the film Still Crazy came out with Billy Connolly in it. Absolutely no 'pinching' going on there from either side ... just unfortunate luck. These things happen whatever you do and I suppose its all good practise!!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Mark said:
Kent Pete, just to confirm - you own the copyright on what you post here but obviously anyone on the internet can view this message board so only post if you feel comfortable. I'm not aware of any posts having been 'pinched' from here - a legitimate TV company certainly wouldn't risk the bad publicity of getting 'caught out' (its all time stamped as has been mentioned above).
losaavedra has a very good point though - it isn't impossible for two people to come up with the same joke / idea independently so if your idea does crop up elsewhere you can't automatically assume it has been 'pinched'.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Something said:
All the more reason not to procrastinate. Get it written NOW before someone else beats you to it!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Frankie Rage said:
Quote: Kent Pete @ July 11, 2007, 2:14 AMArrogant of me to suggest but if I came up with an excellent sketch and posted it here could someone just nick it and send it to a Programme editor.
Rumour has it that The Chuckle Brothers actually wrote The Office and Gervais nicked it.
Just a thought.
View original
Pete I happen to know that almost everybody famous in the industry is nicking your stuff line by line even before you've thought of it... don't post mate, it's clear that they're... whoops, careless talk costs lives, word to the wise...
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
Thanks mate. And I know for a fact that you would never nick my stuff and that makes me feel good inside. 
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Mr Horse said:
I actually wrote Scrubs, the barstads!!!!!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
KING RICHARD.
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
CATESBY.
Withdraw, my lord! I'll help you to a horse.
KING RICHARD.
Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the die:
I think there be six Richmonds in the field:
Five have I slain to-day instead of him.--
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
If I'd known then what I know now, I'd never have posted this, The Barding Bastard.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Martin Holmes said:
Quote: Kent Pete @ July 11, 2007, 2:14 AM
Rumour has it that The Chuckle Brothers actually wrote The Office and Gervais nicked it.
View original
No it was Coogan, Iannucci, Baynham, Morris and the rest of The Day Today team that Gervais nicked it from.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Winterlight said:
I, personally, don't like to post anything up on here which I am seriously intending to submit to people. You may well own the copyright to anything you post here, but then proving you own this copyright isn't necessarily very easy.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
Cheers Winterlight. You have just added to my general sence of paranoia, But good advice.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
Easy copyright -
Post a copy of your work by special delivery to yourself and DON'T open it. The work inside is legally copyrighted from the date shown on the envelope and there will be a record on the date the item was sent on the royal mail data files. In the event someone tries to steal your work after this date, your upopen (and there fore untampered with) piece which you can present to a judge is your proof! I have check this out myself. This is a legally reconised way of doing this.
PS you can also do this with film and audio too. You must also provide as much evidence as poss such as film scripts, unedited pieces, etc so it's all covered!
PSS It's only safe from the date on the package so if someone nicks it before you post, bad luck!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Winterlight said:
I believe that is known as 'poor mans copyright' and I found the following information about it on filmmaking.net:
In the past it has been quite common for less-learned people (and sometimes companies) to recommend that you mail yourself a copy of your script as a way to protect your copyright. The idea goes that when you receive your script back you don't open it, and then you are able to use the postmarked date as proof that the work existed prior to a certain date. Unfortunately this is a fallacy, as it's extremely unlikely such an argument will stack up in court. Why? Because it's extremely simple to fake and anyone who works in the legal side of copyright knows this. Faking it is as simple as sending yourself and empty, unsealed envelope, then once it comes back, popping your script inside and sealing it. The post office doesn’t care that the envelope's empty or even that it is unsealed - they will deliver regardless. So you could easily have sent yourself an empty envelope a couple of years ago, rip-off someone’s script, then pop your new script inside the postmarked envelope and voila! You have a sealed, postmarked envelope containing your script. Don’t use this method.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, SlagA said:
I put sellotape over every possible opening to the envelope and then insist that the post worker makes a clear date stamp on each of the seals.
It's not a perfect method though. I email myself the scripts, I email friends the scripts, I spread it around so that I'll have quite a few corroborative witnesses.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
Sending it by recorded delivery means it's not so easy to fake due to the barcode and the record of when it was sent. I didn't say it was as good as the real thing but it IS a way of doing it if you are worried.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Godot Taxis said:
Most people on here shouldn't worry, as their stuff is insured against theft by it's own incompetence.
I said most, not all. 
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Winterlight said:
I've never looked into getting anything officially copyrighted, but does any one have any idea of how much it would cost to copyright a script? I seem to think it would be quite expensive, but then perhaps it isn't!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
It's about £35 for 5 years. Go here if you want to do it
http://www.copyrightservice.co.uk/?r=ovuk
EDIT: Don't bother, see post below
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, nicholas keegan said:
Quote: Martin Holmes @ August 13, 2007, 7:28 PMNo it was Coogan, Iannucci, Baynham, Morris and the rest of The Day Today team that Gervais nicked it from.
View original
You're absolutely right!! The Day Today done a mockumentary sketch about an American troubleshooter (played by Peter Baynham) who visits an office and sets a pig loose. It's effing brilliant!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, ajp29 said:
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh
I think this is the third time i've commented on the subject of copyright but as since you are newcomers you probably haven't read it so here is the legal definition (I studied Intellectual Property for a year, I should know).
You have copyright when you:-
1) Fixate (write down)
2) An original idea
You don't have to post it to yourself or pay for someone to have it copyrighted. As soon as you write it down it is copyrighted. If it ever comes to prooving when you wrote it down computer records will work, posting it to yourself will work, dating it will work, writing it down may even work if you use some forensic analysis.
So everyone relax, take a deep breath and most importantly don't give any lawyers any money to grant you copyright, you already have it
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
Ooooooo!
Good. Saves me money on stamps! 
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, ajp29 said:
Sorry bout that Ruby, that was about as tactful as a B52 bomber. Its just it annoys me when lawyers *spits* try to confuse and manipulate people. I'm angry at them not any of the BSG users. Apologies
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
It's all good in my lil red hood!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Otterfox said:
I have all my material in a box locked with a huge padlock in a safe covered in glue and camoflaged by feathers. No-one is touching that bad boy!
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, RubyMae - Glamourous Snowdrop at large. said:
Are you sure that is what that is in the corner of the room and not just a very suprised looking chicken?
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Kent Pete said:
Most people on here shouldn't worry, as their stuff is insured against theft by it's own incompetence.
You have to love us for trying though Godot.
On Wednesday 31st December 1969 GMT at 7:00 PM GMT, Charley said:
Quote: Kent Pete @ July 11, 2007, 2:14 AMArrogant of me to suggest but if I came up with an excellent sketch and posted it here could someone just nick it and send it to a Programme editor.
Rumour has it that The Chuckle Brothers actually wrote The Office and Gervais nicked it.
Just a thought.
View original
I have stole all your stuff hon. I have been busy spending all the money I earned. Back now to thief more.xxxx