copyright So a major studio admitted to stealing my script...

[PageBlaster]

Okay i will tell you again exactly what you wanted. You "just wanted a discussion."
These are your own words!!!

Well yeah, but I'm pretty sure you're wrong with your assumptions about what I wanted. Obviously the discussion was a stepping stone to a bargaining table. I didn't just want a friendly chat and that's it. You came out of the gate pretty hot for some reason. Of course I emailed them and wanted to talk. In the interest of time and money it was my hope they would have just said ok fine, shut up. Here's a writing credit and 10k. That'd be cool. I'm not greedy, I just want recognition where it's due. SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I WANT EXCEPT A CREDIT

 

[Let Malo Film]

Well yeah, but I'm pretty sure you're wrong with your assumptions about what I wanted. Obviously the discussion was a stepping stone to a bargaining table. I didn't just want a friendly chat and that's it. You came out of the gate pretty hot for some reason. Of course I emailed them and wanted to talk. In the interest of time and money it was my hope they would have just said ok fine, shut up. Here's a writing credit and 10k. That'd be cool. I'm not greedy, I just want recognition where it's due. SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I WANT EXCEPT A CREDIT

I think you should see a lawyer. It will be more helpful...

 

[sfoster]

Well yeah, but I'm pretty sure you're wrong with your assumptions about what I wanted. Obviously the discussion was a stepping stone to a bargaining table. I didn't just want a friendly chat and that's it. You came out of the gate pretty hot for some reason. Of course I emailed them and wanted to talk. In the interest of time and money it was my hope they would have just said ok fine, shut up. Here's a writing credit and 10k. That'd be cool. I'm not greedy, I just want recognition where it's due. SO I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT I WANT EXCEPT A CREDIT

Your exact quote was "I just wanted to discuss the revelation with their legal team." which is exactly what you got.
The only assumption I made was that you meant what you said, which apparently was wrong because now youre saying you wanted more than a discussion.

It sounds like you wanted a writing credit but didn't ask for a writing credit?
People will not give you things you dont ask for.

 

[indietalk]

I may want to discuss my broken window with you it doesn't mean I don't want you to pay for it. Damn dude. LOL. You really being a hardass.

 

[sfoster]

I may want to discuss my broken window with you it doesn't mean I don't want you to pay for it. Damn dude. LOL. You really being a hardass.

Maybe you want an apology. Maybe you just want me to learn from my mistake so it doesn't happen a second time?
Not everyone is fixated about money or thinks its so important.

Especially small amounts like a broken windows worth.
My point is that if you want something you have to take it!!!!!

Or at least ask for it NICELY.
If you don't even ask you think they're gonna make an effort to give you money? That's LOL.

I was trying to help the person, I ask about the email and whats the answer I get?
Their email was a toneless message designed to generate discussion.

I mean come on!!! How about an email with a POSITIVE tone and "I just wanted some form of credit"

 

[indietalk]

Either way a lawyer should be making that contact. You never paper trail things like this without representation.

 

[indietalk]

Here's a couple points. If you have a real case against a giant you might find a layer pro bono. And if you can't find one pro bono you can literally pay them for their time drafting the initial letter. So you don't have to drop a big retainer you can literally pay an entertainment attorney to draft a letter, and send it. It's probably an hour or two fee until you get the response, if any. At that time they may see a case and ask for a retainer, etc. This is how many people do C&D letters.

 

[Aspiring Mogul]

HBO finally reached back out and all but admitted they stole it, and gave me some ‘helpful’ pointers as to how my work would not be stolen in the future. Thanks!

If they sent that email, then show it to your intellectual property lawyers and see if there's grounds for a lawsuit. You may have a certain time limit to start your legal action, so don't delay. Good luck!

 

[Sweetie]

The harsh reality of it is you've made at least one error.

In life, you're going to make lots of errors. Once you're aware, you can learn from them. How you move forward and whether you continue to make those errors is for you to decide. Whether you self destruct or smartly soldier on is entirely in your hands.

On a side point, out of interest, did they steal your script or a concept/idea?

 

[PageBlaster]

Your exact quote was "I just wanted to discuss the revelation with their legal team." which is exactly what you got.
The only assumption I made was that you meant what you said, which apparently was wrong because now youre saying you wanted more than a discussion.

It sounds like you wanted a writing credit but didn't ask for a writing credit?
People will not give you things you dont ask for.

I literally for the third time have said their legal team DID NOT talk with me. Where is this beef coming from?

 

[PageBlaster]

Here's a couple points. If you have a real case against a giant you might find a layer pro bono. And if you can't find one pro bono you can literally pay them for their time drafting the initial letter. So you don't have to drop a big retainer you can literally pay an entertainment attorney to draft a letter, and send it. It's probably an hour or two fee until you get the response, if any. At that time they may see a case and ask for a retainer, etc. This is how many people do C&D letters.

This is my next stop, glad we reached the same conclusion independently

 

[PageBlaster]

The harsh reality of it is you've made at least one error.

In life, you're going to make lots of errors. Once you're aware, you can learn from them. How you move forward and whether you continue to make those errors is for you to decide. Whether you self destruct or smartly soldier on is entirely in your hands.

On a side point, out of interest, did they steal your script or a concept/idea?

Both. I made a reddit post but it was removed. They stole the concept and changed the name of the app (bid for crimes) but the concept is directly stolen. Which in itself was bad, but when I hear verbatim dialogue that's when I knew it was mine

 

[PageBlaster]

If they sent that email, then show it to your intellectual property lawyers and see if there's grounds for a lawsuit. You may have a certain time limit to start your legal action, so don't delay. Good luck!

That's the thing, they didn't reply in an email. If I had that, I think I'd have legal teams salivating

 

[PageBlaster]

Maybe you want an apology. Maybe you just want me to learn from my mistake so it doesn't happen a second time?
Not everyone is fixated about money or thinks its so important.

Especially small amounts like a broken windows worth.
My point is that if you want something you have to take it!!!!!

Or at least ask for it NICELY.
If you don't even ask you think they're gonna make an effort to give you money? That's LOL.

I was trying to help the person, I ask about the email and whats the answer I get?
Their email was a toneless message designed to generate discussion.

I mean come on!!! How about an email with a POSITIVE tone and "I just wanted some form of credit"

How about that was only my initial contact with them so I wanted it sans emotion? You dont exactly message Warner Brothers and "take" anything....

 

[sfoster]

If you don't have a position of strength to negotiate and take what you want then I would argue that tone becomes even more important!!!
Most of business involves selling - selling a product, selling a service, SELLING YOURSELF. And in sales your pitch is at least as important as the product.

I wish you best of luck with the next step in your writing career and if you contact a lawyer.
Who knows what you want... is it money, is it credit? Maybe you just want a pitch meeting with some execs for more of your brilliant ideas?

WB is probably afraid you will sue them. If you dont want money I would lead with the fact that youre not after a payday.
If you offer to sign something that releases them from all future liability it may appeal to them as an out of court settlement and take away their fear of responding in emails.

But you've got to think on it exactly what you want IMO and then be direct and clear in your pursuit of it.

 

[mlesemann]

They stole the concept and changed the name of the app (bid for crimes) but the concept is directly stolen. Which in itself was bad, but when I hear verbatim dialogue that's when I knew it was mine

As I'm sure you know, you can't copyright a concept so the dialogue would likely be the key point for legal action.

Do you have access to that episode of Westworld? Season 4 doesn't SEEM to be streaming yet, as far as I can see?
If you can get it, transcribe the copied dialogue and show it parallel to yours, along with documentation that you registered the copyright on yours before you sent it to them.

As others have said, get a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property to draft a letter for you that sets this out clearly, which shouldn't cost an impossible amount.

That's probably what you're already planning to do, but I've learned not to assume anything so I'm throwing in my nickel's worth.

Good luck!

 

[PageBlaster]

As I'm sure you know, you can't copyright a concept so the dialogue would likely be the key point for legal action.

Do you have access to that episode of Westworld? Season 4 doesn't SEEM to be streaming yet, as far as I can see?
If you can get it, transcribe the copied dialogue and show it parallel to yours, along with documentation that you registered the copyright on yours before you sent it to them.

As others have said, get a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property to draft a letter for you that sets this out clearly, which shouldn't cost an impossible amount.

That's probably what you're already planning to do, but I've learned not to assume anything so I'm throwing in my nickel's worth.

Good luck!

Thank you. Good advice. Already planning it but good to know the opinion/direction is shared! And yes...Season 3 Ep. 1

 

[indietalk]

This is my next stop, glad we reached the same conclusion independently

Finding pro bono for this type of case will be near impossible however, these are very hard to win and very expensive and you don't have a name. Your best bet it to get a free consultation with a few attorneys and see which one thinks you have a case and wants to fight. I had to do this once for a financial reason and found a real shark. His attitude was like hell yeah we have a case here especially since (a, b, c) and another I had a free consult with told me there was no case. Well, I won. It's in the expertise and drive. Find a GOOD lawyer.

 

[indietalk]

And if a good lawyer says you basically gifted it to them (as you stated), you should move on lesson learned because these cases are expensive and you only want to move forward (in my opinion) if it's a slam dunk.

 

[Unknown Screenwriter]

Late to the party...

I read through all this pretty quickly. I did not read that you sent the script but that you queried all those email addresses. Is that correct? It doesn't seem like it could be correct since you're saying they lifted actual dialogue from your script. The reason I'm asking is because IF you did query all those emails first and THEN they asked to read the script? You're golden as long as you have all those emails.

If you just shotgunned the actual script out there? You still have a case but it would be more difficult to win.

A good Hollywood Entertainment attorney would get HBO or whomever to settle out of court. As for your credit? Depends on how much of your script was actually lifted. If you've got correspondence that's tantamount to HBO or whomever actually admitting the lifting of your concept and or other elements? You're golden. You just need a good Hollywood Entertainment attorney.

They ain't cheap though. The MORE of a case you have? The more they might take your case on a settlement agreement. The less of a case you have? It's gonna cost.

Hard to tell how much of a case you have from this thread though.

Good luck no matt what.