How do I get my film idea patented and copyright protected so on one steals it and how much will it cost me?

Question

How do I get my film idea patented and copyright protected so on one steals it and how much will it cost me?

Answer 1

tell me what it is and i'll tell you

Answer 2

I might be wrong but I thought in the UK the designs and patent act (1988) deems as long as you put the idea into a tangible format you are considered the author of the works - you can mail it to yourself but there is a registry office that for a small fee will put as much of your works as you like under the same registration. However, the US law requires you to register the works before you are considered the owner. So I guess depending on where in the world you are it's possible to contact a rights society or writers guild and they tend to be pretty helpful. Good luck.

Answer 3

no idea, probably a few million at least, even then you can't stop someone from basing an idea off your story, the only reasonable explainion would be to make it but still..

Answer 4

You can copyright your script; I don't think you can patent a film idea.

Check out http://www.patentengineers.com

It explains the difference between copyright, patents, and trademarks; and which works best in each situation.

Answer 5

Sorry, you can't patent an 'idea' and you can't copyright an idea either, put the full script online with a © symbol, it's the computer age and people are honest, better still, spend $100 on a camcorder.

Answer 6

You go to:

http://www.copyright.gov/register/

It costs about $45.00 to do this. I would also mail it to myself by going to the post office.  

Answer 7

sdadasdasd

Answer 8

Write up the manuscript, and take it to the post office and ask them to postmark it. I had a friend who was a mechanical engineer, he had all his blue prints post marked, and it saved him allot of headaches.

Answer 9

You can't patent an idea as such ...write a screenplay and copyright that (in the UK you're meant to send it to yourself registered mail with the front cover of that days newspaper included ...obviously don't open it)

Answer 10

don't f**king ask me....

...wize guy!

Answer 11

I had the same problem with one of my songs I had written, someone told me to write down my song, or in your case movie Idea, put it in an envelope and mail it to yourself. Don't open it when you get it back. that way if anyone does take your movie idea you could bring that envelope to court as evidence that it was your idea first because when it goes through the post office the date will be stamped on to the unopened envelope, thus proving that it was originally your idea.. hope I helped :)

Answer 12

You can do this with original music.  Just drop your work into an envelope and mail it to yourself.  Don't open it, just file it away.  The post office marks it with a processing date.

After that, you might want to call some sort of lawyer service to get started on an official patent.