British Comedy Guide

A revelation about a screenplay I once wrote Page 3

Aw. I'm glad you've found a place to let out your writing geekery!

Are writers thought of as geeks in your house then? It's never crossed my mind.

Mine? Or his.

Both your houses (sounds like a curse).

Ha!
Well writing in itself isn't geeky. But wanting to talk about all the tiny intricate elements probably is.

I'm with you, and I'm afraid it means I've blown the romantic image I had of myself a Byronesqe, Kit Marlowe type wild eyed adventurer who just happened to write a bit. Ah well, never mind.

If movies have taught us anything it's that the best course of action in these circumstances is to start a campaign of menacing anonymous phone calls that play on her suppressed guilt at thieving your screenplay.

Follow this up with a few fleeting, now-you-see-me-now-you-don't, over the shoulder appearances in mirrors and the like before finally locking her in a cellar/disused warehouse until she confesses all into a dictaphone.

But watch out for the FBI - they may shoot you at the end.

On a serious note - this is a shocker, but it's good you are at least taking the positive from it that you wrote a successful screenplay.

Bo.

Quote: David Bussell @ September 10 2010, 10:44 AM BST

That's not true, he could take a law degree.

He may already have a law degree, which he's forgotten about - in his loft. We just don't know.

I've read similar stories about writers from the 30s and 40s who've shown their script to a so called agent who passes it off as their own. They were notorious back then, and I think there are just as many rogues around now who don't mind how they get that Hollywood lifestyle they crave. First tip, do not touch the American market unless you have a name here first.

If I had wanted to take the legal route, I would have tried this years ago while I still had all the proof to hand.

By your own admission, you may still have the proof - on floppy disk. But for some reason you seem unwilling to look for it.

If I had the equivalent of a golden Wonka ticket in my loft, I'd be up there sharpish.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/18/harry-potter-jk-rowling-willy-wizard

I think you'll find that most people here will feel that a writer has been wronged and that they deserve to be rewarded for their effort.

Everyone has been stung for something at some point in their lives so anyone mocking should not throw stones at other people's mirrors, two in the hand or not.

Quote: Marc P @ September 10 2010, 3:27 PM BST

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/feb/18/harry-potter-jk-rowling-willy-wizard

You always seem to get people like that coming out of the woodwork in the hope of scoring some big bucks from something succesful.

Quote: Matthew Stott @ September 10 2010, 3:42 PM BST

You always seem to get people like that coming out of the woodwork in the hope of scoring some big bucks from something succesful.

You do, but sometimes they win as well. Some big name writers have been hit by successful plagiarism/copyright theft cases. Although it's more common for music writers to lose than literary writers, I think.

And unless they are rich already, few artists will be able to afford the huge costs of taking someone like Rowling to court, so the fact that lawyers do take it on means they see some legal merit in the claim at least, and believe they have real evidence of artistic theft.

In this case, they have some work to do to convince a judge or panel because the estate claims it is the plot constructs which were stolen/copied/used without permission and not concrete lines. I believe that would be simple plagiarism. So this will be harder to prove, but you never know. And if it's a genuine claim, then the author should be paid and credited for his part in her success, absolutely.

I wrote several paranoid racist rants, one of which featured a baby being punched

Share this page