Quoted from wonkavite Re: similarities.  Honestly?  I've already had three cases (two features, one short) that - after I wrote them - I had a writing friend or two point out that they'd already seen something similar.

I remember that script too. It was good, but very similar to a film I had just seen the week before or so. I didn't think you had copied it, more like a very unfortunate coincidence in the sense that it might be a harder sell due to that. Over the years, I've seen a lot of writers get upset when something they've worked so hard on and felt so passionate about becomes sort of "obsolete" due to a movie being released that is very similar. A lot of times, these writer's first reaction is that someone stole their idea. That does happen occasionally, unfortunately, but I think most of the time it's just coincidence. I have contacted two directors already about The Russian Sleep Experiment, just to make sure that we weren't doing anything similar. They were both happy to share enough info with me to make sure that we didn't step on either one's toes. In QT's case, I think he's a genius filmmaker and even though he has said that he borrows freely, IMO, he doesn't need someone else's script to get his own ideas for a film. A cool scene or something maybe, but not a whole freaking script. My take, but I might be biased because he's my favorite director.  

Quoted from Grandma Bear I remember that script too. It was good, but very similar to a film I had just seen the week before or so. I didn't think you had copied it, more like a very unfortunate coincidence in the sense that it might be a harder sell due to that. Over the years, I've seen a lot of writers get upset when something they've worked so hard on and felt so passionate about becomes sort of "obsolete" due to a movie being released that is very similar. A lot of times, these writer's first reaction is that someone stole their idea. That does happen occasionally, unfortunately, but I think most of the time it's just coincidence. I have contacted two directors already about The Russian Sleep Experiment, just to make sure that we weren't doing anything similar. They were both happy to share enough info with me to make sure that we didn't step on either one's toes. In QT's case, I think he's a genius filmmaker and even though he has said that he borrows freely, IMO, he doesn't need someone else's script to get his own ideas for a film. A cool scene or something maybe, but not a whole freaking script. My take, but I might be biased because he's my favorite director.

Yup.  And given that I'd only written them in the last few days, there was clearly NO copying occurring - in either direction.  I don't watch that many films, honestly.  And mine were created after theirs.  Though - in all cases, there are honestly enough differences in execution that I don't even think there's really any competitive issues to worry about.  But point being, honest parallel evolution with film ideas does exist.  

But I still don't doubt that some ideas do get "cribbed" by studios.  Every once in awhile; whether or not it's provable.  Be that as it may...

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo That's awesome you reached out to them and ironed that out, I bet they were just as interested to know about yours.

No one wants to pour their heart and soul into something that's just like something else. Unless you're The Asylum and that's your business.  

One of the funniest Hollywood stories ever was that Michael France got a hold of the screenplay for "Cliffhanger", ripped the title page off, slapped his own on there and sold it for a pretty penny. These strange things happen all the time.

And then there's the Coming to America lawsuit, too!  :/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchwald_v._Paramount

And here's a suit just decided on...

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/judge-rejects-lawsuit-alleging-foxs-851758

Anthony

Yep. Didn't know about that one. And I'm sure the pendulum swings both ways: some scripts may honestly have details lifted.  In other cases, it's just a matter of parallel creative evolution (after all, in how many directions can a story go?)  Hence, the existence of standard release forms...  :/

Yep, I think the pendulum definitely swings both ways, and I guess what is worrying from a writers point of view is that there's no hard and fast rules or examples where C is always the result, each claim seems to be in and of itself