All Questions
Tagged with copyright creative-writing
29 questions
-1
votes
1
answer
155
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A Novel Based Off A Song...How Close Can It Get?
I have recently become obsessed with the song Devil Town by Cavetown. I haven't been that into writing recently and this song has really inspired me. I was wondering what's a yes and whats a no to ...
- 1
2
votes
2
answers
369
views
Is my story too much like Harry Potter?
Is my story too much like Harry Potter?
My story is set in a magical world hidden within our own, and it has many magical version of things we do.
It has wands but I have decided to change it and ...
4
votes
3
answers
714
views
Too much like Harry Potter - Tropes
I am designing a magical world for which I have plenty of ideas but I am worried if they are too much like Harry Potter.
Please look through this list and tell me which ideas are too much like Harry ...
1
vote
2
answers
328
views
What if I have a story with some characters from another story by a different author and don't want to be copyrighted?
I am writing a story with some of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson characters in it like, Percy, Annabeth, Grover,Leo, Hazel, Piper, Jason, and much more other characters in his story. I wanted to make a &...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
176
views
Are you allowed to use sci-fi terms you get from the internet?
I’m working on a sci-fi project for a major franchise and it focuses heavily on sci-fi tech terms and science concepts and terms. Lots of the terms I invented but some I found on Internet forums like ...
- 11
1
vote
3
answers
258
views
I want to name a fantasy species something, but it's the name of a similar species in WoW. Is that okay?
I came up with a name for a species in my fantasy world, and looked it up to see if it had been used already. Turns out it's the name of a species in WoW. They are both big cats. Am I infringing on ...
- 11
18
votes
3
answers
6k
views
Do I need copyright permission to rewrite an old classic?
I'm planning to rewrite some old classics such as "Oliver Twist", "David Copperfield", "Jane Eyre", etc. in simple English. They will be abridged adaptations (with due ...
- 1,223
1
vote
3
answers
216
views
Should you mention your sources of inspiration somewhere?
Should you mention your sources of inspiration somewhere? Let's say you borrow a lot from Greek mythology, Shakespeare, and take some world-building ideas from some famous author. Should you mention ...
user36239
1
vote
2
answers
276
views
I gave my main character the same first and last name as in another book - is this fine?
I am writing a book and had nearly finished half of it and gave it to my friend to read, but she told me there is already a character in a book with the same first and last name. Would it be okay if I ...
- 11
2
votes
3
answers
134
views
When is it better to use a real life versus a generic fast food company name when talking about a regional chain?
So, I know that questions regarding the usage of real-life company names has been brought up before, but this is a really weird example that I've run into that doesn't seem covered by the previous ...
- 4,664
4
votes
5
answers
632
views
Am I able to freely borrow or reference real people, places or things without fear of legal persecution?
I'm currently writing my first novel and I can't figure out whether I am able to reference an abundance of different people, places, and/or things.
I've had this idea of wanting to sneak in a sizable ...
- 441
2
votes
2
answers
207
views
What resources can I use to be 100% assured that my story is not too similar/plagarising already existing works?
I've been worrying about this for quite a long time.
So, for the past year or so, I've been working hard on a story I'm very passionate about. My biggest concern of them all is copyright issues.
I'm ...
- 745
1
vote
1
answer
192
views
Similar plot and similar character names-too similar? [duplicate]
I'm asking this question on the behalf of my friend.
So, recently, my friend's story seemed remarkably similar to a published story(FYI, my friend's story is still in the drafting stage, I'm just ...
- 745
1
vote
2
answers
191
views
Copyright infringement on spelling of invented names?
Years ago I invented a name for a kingdom/country in my YA fantasy novel, which I am on the verge of self-publishing. At random, I discovered a self-published author had the same invented name for her ...
- 11
1
vote
2
answers
231
views
Use of real company name in fiction: generic, common names
I read the very helpful discussion of using brand/company names in fiction (Use of real organization in fiction) and have read other resources on the internet but have not been able to find one ...
- 19
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Are writing prompts copyright protected?
I love following writing prompt blogs and accounts on social media because they really get my creativity flowing, my favorite being Writing Prompts on Tumblr and Instagram. I've never actually ...
user34214
3
votes
1
answer
60
views
How to add individual citations or copyrights to an eBook?
I'm compiling my first book. In this book, I have translated several legends, fairytales, and stories of my country (El Salvador).
Most of them are loosely based on different books, blogs, newspapers, ...
2
votes
3
answers
131
views
Writing a Novel based on a Self-help Guide Book
I just want to be clear on this before I do any sort of writing with regards to the subject.
So I have an idea for a novel that shows a person trying to obtain his objectives using the lessons and ...
2
votes
4
answers
956
views
Is using an online name generator a good idea?
When I'm stumped for a planet name or an organization name or something, I usually search on Google for a free name generator. But are the names in random generators copyrighted? If I used a ...
user34214
6
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is my book legal? Is my story too similiar to Harry Potter
I have been creating a story in my mind from early childhood. Now, I am very talented in writing, so I decided to give it a try one day. It was awesome! The book I imagine in my head was being written,...
0
votes
2
answers
249
views
Can I mention Sherlock Holmes in my story? [duplicate]
Now that character SHERLOCK HOLMES is no longer under copyright and is in public domain, can I bring him into my fantasy story where the Protagonist meets him to get some help?
- 315
1
vote
1
answer
134
views
Universe similar to Transformers
I have in mind a story that would be about a transforming robots like Transformers, but with slightly different origins of their creation and what they're really are.
I'm a bit afraid of using ...
- 113
2
votes
3
answers
768
views
In literary fiction, when does allusion, pastiche or intertextuality cross over into plagiarism?
I want to write a novella that to some degree translates Conrad's Heart of Darkness to a modern urban setting, and I want the astute reader to be able to make multiple connections between the two ...
6
votes
2
answers
455
views
On copyright infringement and plagiarism
So, I'm writing a novella about this guy named Peter, who is an actor living in LA. In the fall, he comes back to his hometown, a small town in New Jersey, after a gap of three years. He has a large ...
- 61
6
votes
1
answer
479
views
Can I quote an infamous line from a satire written in the 18th century in my novel?
I marked it with a footnote containing the writer's name, the work's title and copied the "Publisher" section from Wikipedia so far.
What about the English translation of the original French quote?
...
- 63
4
votes
1
answer
4k
views
In a novel that I'm writing, can a character quote a line from a movie or TV show?
I've recently noticed that in a lot of pop culture reference heavy shows or movies, like Community, Suits, Deadpool... they always mention the movie they took it from. As in, another character is ...
- 446
4
votes
4
answers
2k
views
How do we draw the line between plagiarism and allusion?
It’s no secret that in literature we see characters that remind us of other characters. Furthermore, it’s no secret we see plots that remind us of other plots.
For example, an author reads Book A and ...
- 115
5
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Is it plagiarism to adapt a known figure into a fictional charcter?
What if I decide to write a story with a character based off a historical figure but under a different name?
For example:
(1) I write a story with a hero named Tom, who is a political figure.
(2) ...
- 115
2
votes
1
answer
192
views
Do I need copyright, trademark or other registrations, to publish stories by Shakespeare?
I have written summary and storyline of Shakespeare's plays. I need to know the process of publication, and the legal notes, on publishing synopses, where the original author is someone else.