Creative Rights?

[mdlogan]

I was suggested to ask this just to hear the answer. I decided to go along and find out as it was an interesting and perhaps valid concern.

When it comes to people and places created on this site are the creative rights (not sure if that is the right terminology) still in the writer/creator of the person/place? Or are the things created made the property of the admin of the site?

The example I was given was someone makes a planet and then that planet is taken by the admin and used in a book at a later point. The person who created the planet cannot use it, let's say later he wanted to put it in a story of his own, because the rights are under the other person's name now.

Might not be the most worded question and I am sorry if it is difficult to understand.

I am just wondering after somebody in RL mentioned it to me and suggested I ask. Thank you all for your time.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

[member="mdlogan"]

This is a Star Wars board, based on a fictional universe that is not owned by anyone who roleplays here on the board(unless Bob Iger is secretly roleplaying here). So honestly, no one owns the creative rights to anything posted on here. But what you're talking about are concepts--people don't own concepts--the only thing you own creatively is the finished product. So if you write a book, the concept of that book isn't yours, even if you happened to think of it first. But the book itself? That is yours.

Kind of an odd question, so forgive me for providing a complicated answer.

 

[mdlogan]

Thank you [member="Arian Lenar"], the answer was fine by the way.

My friend was concerned that the planet concepts and what not that I put here might be used by someone else for a book, or something else I guess. Then if I were to use the world for a book, theorizing a change to a non-Star wars related world but similar in concept, that the person who took the idea could then proceed to sue me and win.

I hadn't really thought of this as an issue, as I had made the assumption that that wasn't really and easily a problem, unless I somehow get into writing Star Wars books, which I don't plan on it. It is an odd question I agree, it was just suggested that I ask and I had no reason not to. Figured I might as well assuage any possible concerns my friend may have. I hope that nobody minds.

 

[thegreatbeyonder]

[member="mdlogan"]

Well, if anyone's concerned that their ideas may be used in someone else's creative works off-site, then that person just shouldn't share those ideas. Then again, that person also needs to ask themselves whether or not it's that bad. Originality isn't about being the first to an idea, it's about being the first to developing them in such a way that people are able to enjoy those ideas at their finest.

that the person who took the idea could then proceed to sue me and win.

Again, people can't own concepts. A concept is too vague or generalized to be protected.

If you wrote a book, and shared a draft with someone, and that someone tried to publish it off as their own work. That's different. But if you shared an idea with someone, and they turn that idea into an actual product? Then they own that product. Otherwise people could just claim they own the concept to every product made by Google or Apple and make money without actually having anything to do with the product's design or development.

 

[mdlogan]

I agree, thank you. Hopefully that will be enough to help my friend.

[member="Arian Lenar"]