Quote:
Originally posted by dukesmom:
<STRONG>what if an episode of a television show mirrors what happened in a fanfic posted before the episode airs – especially if that fanfic wasn't based on spoilers? As a fanfic author, would you feel your idea had been stolen or assume that “great minds think alike?” Would you attempt your own lawsuit against the show?</STRONG>
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Considering that your own fic was illegal (as it seems to be) to begin with, I don't think you have any grounds of suing the network for stealing your idea. Even if they did in fact steal it.
Although, my inclination would be that we're just thinking along the same lines. It would take a pretty amazing 'coincidental event' to convince me that the network actually stole my idea. I write virtual episodes for the cancelled show Young Americans, and so do a couple of fellow writers who work in tandem. We've each written 25+ episodes, and it's amazing when you look at it how much similarity is between our major storylines. Our stories are pretty divergent on the details and from episode to episode, but most major plotlines (such as getting character A together with character B and breaking them up again, introducing an OC romantic interest for character C, introducing an OC who is the sister of character D, deciding to make character E gay...) undeniably go in the same direction. Do we copy each other? No. The ideas have long been in our heads before the other wrote it down. Do we think alike? Absolutely. That's just what happens when you decide to carry on a show long-term with its original flavour intact.
Walloo, thanks for the link. I just skimmed it, which is probably why I don't understand this, but what exactly is
fusion? [img]smilies/confused.gif[/img]
[ 01-11-2004: Message edited Silversun ]