Questions of length and copyrights for a Star Wars Fan Film

I'm currently writing a Star Wars Fan Film. I've had this idea for a long time now. I have two questions I'd like to ask. If anyone can help me I'd appreciated.

In my screenwriting class the teacher tolds us that we should register our work to the Writer's Guild of America, to protect our work. I've read the information on SW fan films at theforce.net but it doesn't explain much.

Also, the story I'm working has just gone on it's own!
I guess it's looking to be a length between 100 minutes and 120 minutes.

So my questions are:

How do I copyright a Star Wars fan film script? Can a copyright it with the WGA? If someone in my class steals the idea I'm working on, is Lucasfilms protecting the work?

(note: my teacher suggested that someone can mail their own script to themselves, and once you receive it back in the mail not to open it since the U.S. government postcard "protects" the material. Is this true?)

And..

..I was wondering if Lucasfilm is open to letting a feature length SW Fan Film into the Star War Fan Film awards contest. Have any long length SW fan films been nominated or won an award?

 

Just wanted to address this point. It's not recommended. Have a google search for "Poor man's copyright"

From www.copyright.gov

"I?ve heard about a ?poor man?s copyright.? What is it?
The practice of sending a copy of your own work to yourself is sometimes called a ?poor man?s copyright.? There is no provision in the copyright law regarding any such type of protection, and it is not a substitute for registration. "

 

The copyright to the script itself belongs to you by virtue of your having written it. Registering it with the U.S. Copyright office only establishes an "earliest date" of its existence.

No, it is not considered a registered copyright. You can register it with the WGA, which essentially serves the same function, in terms of establishing the earliest date. So if someone steals it and claims that they created it, you could prove that you had it, with your name on it, before they did.

Ideas cannot be copyrighted, only execution. If someone in your class "steals the idea" but does their own version of it, you're screwed. Only if they have actively copied your execution -- using the same characters, scenes, specific scene structures or dialogue -- can it be considered a copyright violation, and Lucasfilm would have nothing to do with that.

No. This is a classic urban myth and your teacher ought to know better.

The problem with this is, the USPS has no policy against transporting unsealed mail. So you could, theoretically, mail an empty, unsealed envelope to yourself today, then in five years steal someone else's script, put it in the dated-five-years-ago envelope, seal it, and claim you had it first. Postmarked mail of this sort is not accepted evidence in a court of law, which is where you'd have to go if you wanted to make a copyright infringement claim.

Worry about making the thing first.

 

Thanks for your help and advice you guys.

And thanks for the encouragement DorkmanScott, all I'm really worrying about is making the film. A part of me is taking this screenplay class to help me finish the script. Everyone in my class wants to write a feature film or TV show and send it in somewhere. I figured I don't want to be the only one in the class without a reason for doing it besides for fun. I told my teacher about it and she looked at me funny, but I reassured her they have this contest for them (SW fan film awards).

But that's the thing. I am doing it for fun, and because I hope it's a good story for the SW fan community.

I've had this idea way too long now and procrastination is never a good friend. This movie will be for fans, I could care less about an award as long as the fan community will enjoy it.

 

No. This is a classic urban myth and your teacher ought to know better.

The problem with this is, the USPS has no policy against transporting unsealed mail. So you could, theoretically, mail an empty, unsealed envelope to yourself today, then in five years steal someone else's script, put it in the dated-five-years-ago envelope, seal it, and claim you had it first. Postmarked mail of this sort is not accepted evidence in a court of law, which is where you'd have to go if you wanted to make a copyright infringement claim.


Actually this is partially true. At least in the Netherlands a same set of international rules applies here as in US. You can mail it to yourself and this is the most primitive form of copyright but it is a way of doing it only if you follow specific steps. I do not know them vrey well but here (Netherlands) you have a service of sending mail which is called: "send noted" .

This service costs extra money but it will ensure you safety and legal proof for your sending and receiving.
This method requires you to send your letter via the post office and requires you to seal the envelope. A special delivery system is in place. You get a ticket that you send it noted on DATE and TIME under surveillance. When the envelope reaches it's destination (which is your home... doesn't matter) you sign a ticket of which the copy is send back to the sender (which is you ironically...).

This procedure is legally justified here. This way you can easy win a case from for example a stubborn web host who says you didn't cancel your service 2 weeks before expiry date (you have the SIGNED ticket to prove they received your cancellation).

I think such a same system is active in the US also.

 

It's not. No "posting to yourself" system will hold up in a court of law in the US and the UK. I wouldn't know about the Netherlands.

 

Hmm and in my classes they said this system applied in country's like the US, European Union etc...

Maybe need to check that again then... but here it does.... Maybe more because our postal service company was a state owned service a few years ago. Now thet still need to applie to government rulations but are a commercial company...

 

Hm, would the "posting to yourself"-thing work if the sheet with your story on it is the envelope? Since it would have the postmark directly on it.


If that won't work however, you could still try to finda patch of fresh cement and write your story with a date and your name in it. That way, you would have your ideas set in stone, literally.

 

You're worrying too much about the copyright aspect of this thing.

People steal each other's ideas all the time. It's a fact of life and art that go hand in hand.

The only real concern would be, if you were planning on making a boatload of money, and you don't want to lose that opportunity. But, if you're making a fan film, that will not be an option anyway.
So what's at stake if someone indeed does steal your idea? Nothing. So that's what you're stressing over. Nothing.

Keeping quiet is still a good idea. Because it really sucks when you have a great idea, and someone gets it produced before you. But even in that case, if you have that much confidence in what you're producing, you should have no concerns if a similar idea is produced first.

 

technically making a star wars fan film is violating the copyright that george lucas and lucasfilm has over the name "star wars" and all of us know they have been very very forgiving. i think u'll be fine. as long as you dont make a load of money off of it.

 

Haha, thanks Kaat. If nothing else works I'm going to home depot and doing it the ooooold fashion way.

The thing is with all the work and in class presentations we're going to do, by the end of the semester everyone will know each other's plans.

Also, I can tell most of the people in the class might actually just be in it for the money. The first day there was way too many discussions of money and less of structure.. which gives me a feeling that when we get to the actual writing, there's gonna waaaay more questions.

But I could be wrong. If that is the case though, then I have nothing to worry about because this movie won't make a penny!


I am confident with idea I'm working on, it's actually a risky idea for a Star Wars fan film. I've told a few people in the past about it, and they've all told me to do it.

I feel a lot of my classmates will look at me funny when I give my premise. The teacher had no idea what a Star Wars fan film was.

But that should be a good thing. Endless there's some other hard core Star Wars fan in the class, then I should start worrying.

 

No comment

 

Don't confuse Trademark with Copyright. Making a fan film is not infringing on anyone's copyright - unless you steal the story outright.

In any case, the spirit of what you say holds true. They have been forgiving enough to allow this behavior.

But don't kid yourself either. It's not like it isn't in their best interests to let fan filmers do their thing. Other people like Warner Bros. shut fan filmers down, and they looked like idiots for it. Not only that, but it brought more attention to the projects they were trying to bury. (well, that's the way it seemed to those of us that were watching it.)

So don't go around thinking that LucasFilm is being kind. They are being pragmatic and realistic. And they aren't doing us any favors. Quite the opposite in fact. (Fan filmers are doing THEM a favor - by keeping interest in their stories alive.)

 

Not only Star wars in words....

but in props and whatnot too

Lightsabers, Jedi, Sith, Dart Vader, The Force...

Though this again differs if it is comedy.... then it's not infringing but it's Parody...


oh well... there are just so many rules... but then.... I would be honoured to make a Star Wars fan film and if someone steals your idea the best thing you could do is do the force mind trick on them

 

Mind trick, ey?

I will try that.