Law Commons^™

Stolen From Stardust And Air: Idea Theft In The Entertainment Industry And A Proposal For A Concept Initiator Credit, Robert M. Winteringham

Federal Communications Law Journal

In the entertainment industry idea theft is rampant. Because copyright protects only fixed expressions, a legal remedy does not always exist to stop the unattributed and unrewarded use of plot ideas. By incorporating elements from existing copyright and contract law, this Note proposes the creation of a "concept initiator" credit to protect fully developed ideas even where copyright cannot attach. The Author argues that the credit and the three-part test to determine when the credit applies will protect ideas from theft without drastically increasing the number of frivolous lawsuits.