Q: i have a idea for a video commercial in a specific industry can i copyright it before i pitch it to big companies?
is a video script considered a tangible medium in order to protect the idea?
A: The U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, provides that an original work of authorship automatically has statutory copyright from the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible medium of more than transitory duration. Copyright does not protect ideas, only the actual expression of the idea fixed in a tangible medium. Accordingly, I suggest that you commit your idea to a tangible form before approaching any company. If you disclose your idea to others, there is little that you can do to prevent someone from appropriating that idea and creating their own original work based upon that idea to which they would hold the copyright. You might consider seeking advise from an attorney experienced in copyright law.
Will Blackton agrees with this answer
1 user found this answer helpful
A: It is usually wise to register the copyright in your work before pitching it. However, you cannot obtain a copyright in an idea. You can obtain a copyright in the original, creative expression of the idea, such as by adding vivid details of scene(s) or story (usually in the form of a treatment or script).
Will Blackton agrees with this answer
1 user found this answer helpful
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
