What do you do if People stealing your ideas

[The Batman]

I've got a problem.

I've been writing this fan fiction type thing for about 8 years, based on parodies of comic book characters. The thing is, the characters are blatantly based on people I know. The past few years, I've been posting these stories on my facebook.

One of my stories was basically a parody of the Justice League. So, i thought it'd be fun to start a group. Recently, there've been chats, and essentially...things have gone out of my control. Some people seem to think that since I based characters on them...they somehow own the characters. They tried starting a website without my approval, but when the site owner got wind that I wasnt happy with that, he relented.

Another chat basically had them talking about taking the characters based on them and writing their own stories...again, talking about this without my approval. Now, I've gotten annoyed. I wrote the final story and ended it.

Hours after I post this up on facebook, my friend tags me. He wrote a story of his own. Using most of my characters. Without my approval.

Anytime I bring up that they're my characters, it seems to be ignored. i was wondering if there's really anything I can do about this. It's not lawsuit worthy, but its definetly bothersome.

Has anything like this happened to you guys?

 

[The Question]

I've got a problem.

I've been writing this fan fiction type thing for about 8 years, based on parodies of comic book characters. The thing is, the characters are blatantly based on people I know. The past few years, I've been posting these stories on my facebook.

One of my stories was basically a parody of the Justice League. So, i thought it'd be fun to start a group. Recently, there've been chats, and essentially...things have gone out of my control. Some people seem to think that since I based characters on them...they somehow own the characters. They tried starting a website without my approval, but when the site owner got wind that I wasnt happy with that, he relented.

Another chat basically had them talking about taking the characters based on them and writing their own stories...again, talking about this without my approval. Now, I've gotten annoyed. I wrote the final story and ended it.

Hours after I post this up on facebook, my friend tags me. He wrote a story of his own. Using most of my characters. Without my approval.

Anytime I bring up that they're my characters, it seems to be ignored. i was wondering if there's really anything I can do about this. It's not lawsuit worthy, but its definetly bothersome.

Has anything like this happened to you guys?

Unless they're making money off of it, I don't see how it's even lawsuitable.

Honestly, I don't see the problem. You made something people liked and now they're having fun with it. Unless there was some kind of conflict over money, I'd let them have fun.

 

[The Batman]

I guess. i just wished they asked first or something. The fact that they just ran off and did it is probably what bothers me the most.

 

[The Question]

I guess. i just wished they asked first or something. The fact that they just ran off and did it is probably what bothers me the most.

I guess that would've been polite. But either way I really don't see the harm.

 

[Master Chief]

In the big picture your creativity sparked more creativity, your ego can take the hit. :] As for the site lol did they at least credit you? If not they're a bunch of a**holes, get new friends.

 

[The Batman]

In the big picture your creativity sparked more creativity, your ego can take the hit. :] As for the site lol did they at least credit you? If not they're a bunch of a**holes, get new friends.

....No, they didnt credit me for the site. And I'm seriously considering it...getting new friends, i mean.

 

[Yurka]

Maybe they believed you didnt take it that seriously.

 

[The Batman]

^ I'm wondering if I SHOULD take it that seriously....

 

[Yurka]

It doesn't sound like they had bad intentions, sounds like they just took an idea you had and played off it. As stated earlier, unless people start making money off it, I wouldn't get too worked up over it.

 

[The Squirrel]

I can understand why it would bother you. I've taken a friend's story and ran with it before, but I had asked his permission first. I think I would have been a jerk to not have done that.

 

[The Batman]

I can understand why it would bother you. I've taken a friend's story and ran with it before, but I had asked his permission first. I think I would have been a jerk to not have done that.

QFT. Especially since the last story i wrote was supposed to be a series finale type of thing, and he dropped his like an hour after mine, continuing the story that was supposed to be over.

 

[The Question]

QFT. Especially since the last story i wrote was supposed to be a series finale type of thing, and he dropped his like an hour after mine, continuing the story that was supposed to be over.

That's always gonna happen. It's what fans are like. There are thousands of Harry Potter continuation fics on the net.

 

[Obi-Ron]

I guess. i just wished they asked first or something. The fact that they just ran off and did it is probably what bothers me the most.

Did you ask DC before you used their characters in your parody?

 

[THE MR. TERRIFIC]

If your characters have not been copywritten you really can't do anything about it.

 

[The Question]

If your characters have not been copywritten you really can't do anything about it.

Even if they have been he can't do anything about it. I could write seven full length Harry Potter novels that are a continuation of the series and as long as I don't sell them Rowling can't do anything about it.

 

[Obi-Ron]

If your characters have not been copywritten you really can't do anything about it.

The past tense of COPYRIGHT is "copyrighted". It's not about something that has been written, the phrase refers to the "right to copy."

In any case, I think "trademarked" would have been the more accurate term.

 

[The Batman]

Did you ask DC before you used their characters in your parody?

I believe that parody's are protected, right? Plus, I dont make money off of these.

 

[The Batman]

That's always gonna happen. It's what fans are like. There are thousands of Harry Potter continuation fics on the net.

That's true.

 

[Erzengel]

Turn their characters into sexual deviants and have them make out with each other. That'll show them.

 

[The Question]

I believe that parody's are protected, right? Plus, I dont make money off of these.

Yeah, but I think his point was that you didn't ask DC, so why should you be mad that your friends didn't ask you?

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Almost every writer has felt at one time or another that they're being ripped off. Usually this is not the case. I used to write fan-fiction about Nazi zombies in the late 90's way before 'Dead Snow' was ever thought of. That doesn't mean 'Dead Snow' stole my idea. There's something called parallel thinking (I'm not 100% positive that's the term) when two people independently come up with the same idea. It happens with comedians coming up with the same basic jokes a lot.

That doesn't sound like what you're struggling with. You're struggling with 'irony'. You used or parodied licensed characters without permission and then have the audacity to take your friend to task when he in turn parodies you. There is little chance you can copyright these characters if they're so similar to established characters in the Justice League, so just sit back and remember that imitation is the highest form of flattery and think up some original creations you can call your own.

 

[Obi-Ron]

Yeah, but I think his point was that you didn't ask DC, so why should you be mad that your friends didn't ask you?

Bingo.

 

[Thebumwhowalks]

Also, just a tip for any aspiring writers, if you are going to base characters in your fiction on people you have met in life, do not tell them you have done this(like you have done Batman), and do not give them the same names, or similar names to the real life people. If you make any money off of the project, they could sue you.
It happened to Seinfeld, one of his old college friends tried to sue him over Goerge Constanza, as he had the same surname, and felt he had made a laughing stock out of the name.
and Richard Linklater was sued by three people he hung out with in high school because he used their names for characters in 'Dazed and Confused'.
The lawsuit against D&C was not successful, and I don't think the Seinfeld one was either, but it avoids all the hassle if you just use different names or don't tell em. Also, on this level of fan fiction, they will not feel like they have a right to the characters.

 

[The Batman]

Yeah, but I think his point was that you didn't ask DC, so why should you be mad that your friends didn't ask you?

Because thats not the same thing as my situation.

My situation would be closer to this:

Marvel creates the Sentry, based off of superman, without asking DC

Then someone else decides to use The Sentry...image for image, character note for character note of what Marvel made.

Some of you have the idea that ive straight up copied from dc. Thats not the case. My characters are pastiches. Even so, like I said...parody, i believe, is protected.

I've a right to be upset. Friends are of course, your friends. If it were some random off the internet, i probably wouldnt be as mad.

 

[The Batman]

Also, just a tip for any aspiring writers, if you are going to base characters in your fiction on people you have met in life, do not tell them you have done this(like you have done Batman), and do not give them the same names, or similar names to the real life people. If you make any money off of the project, they could sue you.
It happened to Seinfeld, one of his old college friends tried to sue him over Goerge Constanza, as he had the same surname, and felt he had made a laughing stock out of the name.
and Richard Linklater was sued by three people he hung out with in high school because he used their names for characters in 'Dazed and Confused'.
The lawsuit against D&C was not successful, and I don't think the Seinfeld one was either, but it avoids all the hassle if you just use different names or don't tell em. Also, on this level of fan fiction, they will not feel like they have a right to the characters.

very interesting.

isnt a character in "Spawn" named after one of Todd McFarlane's friends? I'm surprised no lawsuit has come from that....