As I was working on the third and final chapter of my "Changed by Aliens", I began to remember some details of a Science Fiction story I'd read some years ago. The similarities to that other story were purely inadvertent. So, now I am faced with what to do now. Chapter 3 is complete and ready to post, but in view of the present circumstances, perhaps I should simply discard it and do no more with it.
In that story an Alien Fighter Pilot had somehow breached time and space and wound up near earth. In the following events, he landed, and tried to convince Earth people how much trouble they were in if his enemies followed and it seemed to me he eventually mobilized Earthlings to begin building up a response to that threat. I have no idea of the title of the other work or the Author, or if it is even that similar.
I simply do not know if anyone familiar with both stories would consider mine to be a violation. While there are some similarities.
I am going to ask you to decide what you think. You can believe my explanation, or not.
Many blessings
Gwendolyn Brown
Comments
publish...
and be damned. Isn't plagiarism just good copy?
Angharad
Angharad
Concepts cannot be
Concepts cannot be copyrighted.
As long as you are telling a different story, your characters are not the same, etc. then it is not an infringement.
All works of fiction draw from prior works.
I would really not worry about it.
Here is an example.
Disney's Cars. Ever seen Doc Hollywood, they are almost the same movie, except for the racing motiff instead of the doctor.
I half expected them to pull over and have the girl car "dropping trough" to save some poor defenseless scooters from hunter pick-ups by leaving her scent.
Plots
I can think of two SF novels that fit your description and maybe a short story or four. Plots are cheap, you can buy three for a nickel at the egg store.
Hugs,
Erin
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
= Give everyone the benefit of the doubt because certainty is a fragile thing that can be shattered by one overlooked fact.
Dear Gwen,
You're not trespassing if you didn't see the sign. I'd say proceed, and if it still bothers you,
cite the original as an "unconscious influence" in a little preface sentance.
~~~hugs, Laika
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
STOP
Yes . . . by all means stop writing and delete all copies from your computer.
Then call the entertainment industry and tell them to quit rewriting all of Shakespeare's plays as major motion pictures such as 10 Things I Hate About You. The Cohen brothers need to lay off Homer as well -- O Brother Where Art Thou. Be sure to tell me that I should rot in Hell for writing a story posted on BC that is based on Dante's Inferno.
The Greeks said something about there being eight? basic stories and everything else being a derivative of them.
But -- you need to draw a line in the sand and stop the madness. From now on we will only accept completely new stories. The only one here capable of completely new stories is Laika, who will devise a new alphabet, and a completely new vocabulary, and a new literary construct.
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
This post ...
... is possibly plagiarism of a previous conversation we've had. ;) There are two sci-fi novels and one movie I recall that have roughly the same beginnings. What's most important to me is that you stay away from TG themes to avoid any potential conflicts, as I've done TG themes before, and, I think, a few others have done them, too. :)
Aardvark
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony."
Mahatma Gandhi
Ditto, ditto ... Oh ghod, I've plagiarized myself!
Gwen,
if you are worried, put in the disclaimer that you think you may have read something similar in the past.
Hell, isn’t there a joke about there only being four plots on television or that Frankenstein and My Fair Lady are the same story except for the singing and maybe the ending?
That you are concerned speaks volumes about your high ethical standards but I doubt if you have done anyone harm.
John in Wauwatosa ... and a fan
John in Wauwatosa
Wha-a-a?
Frankenstein sings? Or does the Monster sing and Doc. F lipsyncs?
Must be the Woody Allen version! ;-)
KJT
"Being a girl is wonderful and to torture someone into that would be like the exact opposite of what it's like. I don’t know how anyone could act that way." College Girl - poetheather
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.” - Turkish Proverb
Karen ... I think you've got it!
One of my favorite films of all time is Young Frankenstein.
Think of the medical *lecture* where Victor and The Monster do probably the best ever Irving Berlin song and dance number ever, "Uttin nn the Rtzz!"
Though my heroine Joanie has hopes her first night of passion with her beloved Eric will be more like Madeline Khan, The Monster and ...
"Sweet mystery of life at last I've found you!"
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
You really need to see ...
"The New Mel Brooks Musical: Young Frankenstein" (now on Broadway)... :-)
Treatment
What you describe is a plot, and is basically an idea which cannot be copyrighted. As Erin said, you can have them three a penny anywhere. With a very slight alteration, this is the plot of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and countless other stories going back into prehistory. I know I've seen it countless times in other genres as well.
Note that in the movie industry, a plot can be expanded into a "treatment," and there are certain rights attached, but the criteria are fairly strict.
As a joke, here's an automatic Treatment Generator to give you an idea of what a treatment looks like.
http://www.bmyers.com/public/807.cfm
This actually doesn't generate a real treatment, because a pivotal scene has to be fully written to qualify, and there's a lot more to it, but it's cute anyway.
Here's one output:
=========
Run with the Devil
An original screenplay concept by
Puddintane
Science Fiction: A ex fighter pilot teams up with a computer hacker to battle aliens from Venus.
As the story unfolds, the ex figher pilot falls in love with an ex-hooker who has martial arts training which they use to their advantage.
Through blood and guts they manage to destroy four alien weapons, beat the bad guys and win the respect of their country.
Think Jurassic Park meets Star Wars.
=========
What this is actually is an elevator pitch, not a full treatment, but who's quibbling?
Try on The Music Man for size: (We've got Trouble, right here in River City!) He warns the people, they mobilise, the danger is averted. Professor Hill happens to be a swindler, but he's reformed by the love of a good woman and some home cookin' so that's all right.
Heck, half the Bible consists of people warning other people that they're doomed unless the follow the crazy advice of this or that lunatic, although they eventually hired publicity agents and re-messaged themselves as "prophets." And before that we had Cassandra and the Delphic Oracle, both of whom gave wonderful advice which people often got wrong, to their sorrow.
This is the basic "know-it-all" plot, very popular with audiences because almost everyone thinks that their opinions are the best there possibly can be, and they get to pity the poor fools who fail to heed the warnings.
We could have a game, in which we all think of examples of the know-it-all plot. I daresay we'd have thousands by the time we became bored to tears.
Cheers,
Puddin'
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Speaking of The Music Man...
...Robert Preston's last film role was as another swindler in The Last Starfighter, which has yet another minor variation of the know-it-all plot, supplemented with "superhuman powers."
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Anistasia Allread is a plagiarist
She stole that whole "the plague" idea from Albert Camus.
That's plague-plagiarism, the worst kind!
.
~(Ooooh, this feels like a delete-r, but wot th' heck...) /// hugs, Laika :)
Well shit, I guess it really CAN happen here..,
.
Camus stole that from ...
the Nazi's and WWII.
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
OH NO! Really!
Can't we give her permission? I love her stories!
Gwendolyn
More than one story starts with similar...
events... The Enterprise (well several of them) have gone back in time and interacted with earth/defended against aliens.
So, unless your story steals a LOT from said story or is overly parallel, I wouldn't worry too much. (Worst case, you could include a "reference" to the published story that has some similar elements, saying while you didn't get the idea from the story, you enjoyed it and your readers might also.
Annette
OK OK, I give, UnClE!
I feel like you are all holding me on the floor and tickling me until I am just a ghaspiinnnng Puddle.
OH NO, please Sthoooohhhhppppp, I give...
Thank you all so much. :)
Gwendolyn
I think your safe
I dont think its a big deal unless you are blatant about it. I might have went to far in my alicia story so i redid some of the chapters.
It was no big deal with me.
I was not familiar with the story everyone was refering to.
Now, I did have a story flat out stolen. They did a lot of work on it, but it still only made a "C or D" grade movie. NOT !
Gwendolyn
Many Comments
Gwen, Wow!
I thought I'd comment, very simply, then decided to read the other comments, and comments, and more comments. I didn't count'm, but it seems like as many comments as I've ever seen. I think you are very loved, womyn!
All I was going to say is: I think plagiarism is copying word for word or nearly word for word. Maybe like action for action and just change the names. You don't even know the other story/stories well enough to plagiarize them. Also, I think you are one of the most honest and honorable people I know, even if I don't really know you that well. It's like your honorability (?) shines though.
I'd say "do what you want", but maybe it's better to do what everyone else has said. They make sense.
Love, Hugs and Brightest of Blessings,
Renee
Hugs and Bright Blessings,
Renee
Been There Done That
At Fictionmania another author had a story posted that had a similar plot as one of my stories. I submitted my story to be posted just before hers was posted and mine was posted a few days later. The luck of the draw.
Unlike my situation, what is plagerism is the same plot, the same words the same conversation in the story so that what you are reading is, at most, a minor adjustment of another story.
The same plot or story idea by itself is NOT plagerism as one English professor once said that there are only a dozen (my number might be wrong) basic plots.
shalimar