?s In Getting Started

Damn. I wish I could remember all of the info I learned in the screenwriting class I took. I'll relay the information I remember.

If you are not apart of the Screenwriters Guild then it is a good idea to get your screenplay copyrighted. There is a government website that tells you all you need to know about how to copyright something but I can't seem to find it right now.

If you don't have an agent/manager is it's always best when submitting your screenplay to hire a lawyer to hand it in to them personally. So if they steal your idea you have a credible witness and someone that can help you on the legal stuff. Plus sending them a lawyer will probably be enough to prevent any of that sort of thing happening.

Much appreciated if anyone could fill in the blanks.

Oh yeah it is much more easier to copyright a screenplay than it is to copyright a treatment. I'm not even sure if you could copyright a treatment but I think the writers Guild might have something for treatments. Mind you the the more detailed the treatment the easier it will be to protect it. So if you have one page of treatment describing a 90min. movie it will be much easier to copyright it if you lengthend that to lets say fifteen pages.

first, you cant copyright treatments. Only screenplays.

Next, you dont need to get a lawyer to copyright. Just send the full screenplay and $30 to the Library of Congress with the form filled out. Here is a link to their site - <a href="http://www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html" target="_blank">LIBRARY OF CONGRESS</a>

Also, you should register the screenplay with the screenwriters guild. Here is where you can do it online. <a href="https://www.writersguild.org/webrss/dataentry.asp" target="_blank">WRITERS GUILD</a> - It is $20 for non-union members.

It is really best to do both. WGA will get back to you with your certificate within a month or so. The Library of Congress will take about 6 months to cash your check and reply to you.

Any more questions, just let me know

Yeah you don't need a lawyer to copyright I was just saying that is you don't have an agent to submit your screenplay to a studio or somthing like that have a lawyer do it for you.

not really. I used the working titles I have. dont matter, it will probably get changed anyway if you sell it.

you cant copyright a name (reason why there is movies out there with the same names) so you dont have anything to worry about there. I dont think they actually read the screenplay anyway when you send it to them.. Just lock it away for you so it will be protected if you need it.

Hurry, before I complete MY script for "The Sum of All Fears 2".

Mwahahahahaha..there can be only ONE.

There are alot of screen writers that seem to be pretty knowledgable over at avary.com.

In all seriousness this time, sorry for the cracks earlier. I may be wrong, I don't know much about the business...but don't copyright laws prevent writers from submitting their own scripts or treatments of pre-existing characters, without consent of the studio?

Like I said..I don't know, but this is what I thought.

yeah, it is pretty tough. The only thing you can do in the cases of trying to sell scripts of pre-existing ideas is to get an agent. And yeah, most times you need to know someone. Also, you are writing an X-Files script with hopes that they will make another X-Files movie and like your script enough to use you over, say, Chris Carter, who is already set to write X-Files 2. Or that using your Batman script is better than using one written by any successful screenwriter.

For a franchise to be put into production by a studio, they want the security that it will be a hit. Why would they take a script by a first-timer? Maybe yours is the best, but the question is, why would they even look at it? The answer sadly is that they would not.

You need an agent, and the only way to get an agent is to make an agent interested in one of your scripts. That is done by sending query letters to every agent you can find and crossing your fingers. I hate to sound blunt, but you need to understand that the chance of getting someone to read a script based on an already existing franchise without help from someone inside is pretty much nil.

You need an original idea that catches their attention.

And there is no reason to register your script in person. You can do it over the internet. The wga is a great help in getting your screenplays out there once you join, but you can't join until you sell a screenplay. See how hard it is.

But if you are good enough, don't give up. Just keep working at it. You never know, you could be that one in a million screenwriter that gets your version of Batman made. Just have a back-up plan you can fall back on.

wow. I just got a completely different opinion of this.

I just got back from a seminar with Lew Hunter (Screenwriting 434). He is considered the top screenwriting professor in America (UCLA).

He said that when you send the screenplay in to an agent or producer, do not put the copyright info on the script. He said that professional screenwriters do not do it. One production person told him that when they see a copyright number on the screenplay they feel that they are not trusted, and don't even know if they want to open it and read it. He also said that if someone is going to steal it they will do it anyway because you have to prove that their story is stolen from you and not just generally the same idea (which can't be stolen, ie. Armageddon and Deep Impact).

He said if you are really paranoid about it, the poor man's copyright will work just as well, and save you money. Take your screenplay, put it in an envelope, seal it and mail it certified mail to youself and never open it. You have the date on the package to prove when it was mailed.

He said the only time you need to worry about copyrights is if it is a contest where you are forced to do it or if you are asked to by an agent or production company.

i spoke to a lawyer friend of mine once, and basically he was saying that copyrighting is okay, but it's not really that great for protection legally, and the money you spend on it isn't for copyrighting, it's for the "registration" of your copyright, technically everything is automatically copyrighted the moment you ink it, as an alternative i've had writings that i've done in the past notarized, because notaries are officers of the court pretty much, it's dated, signed, witnessed, legally sound, and it never expires, something to think about as a back-up, oh, and it's cheap as hell too, copyright 'registration' is not proof of conception or initial existence, a notary is, and if you're going to hand anything in, return receipts or confirmaiton of receipt or something should probably be used, just having a lawyer "hand" it to someone doesn't do a whole lot if it's not logged or recorded or on paper, and the "poor man's" self-mailer is a good idea too, although i was advised against doing that as well...

the only reason to do it, or to copyrite at all is to have proof of date. the minute you write it, you own it, but in court you have to prove WHEN you wrote it.

But the actuality of winning the case is still whoever has the bigger pocket book most of the time.

yeah, i agree Starving, it's just not one of the best ways to do it, and the money thing is right on, they bring in ten lawyers, you bring in a wrinkly ten year old piece of mail package with a forgeable date stamp on it and you're screwed straight out...