I'm back Stage32 after a brief intermission. I attempted to copyright AT&T Musical, Success Kills & Dallas Cowboy Musical. These are revisions of the same story. I received 3 or 4 communications from the copyright office saying I must include the music score with my screenplays. I answered that I WONT be submitting a music score with my screenplays. I haven't heard from them since.
The obvious take on this matter is this: someone has instructed the copyright office not to issue a copyright. Or, an industry professional (agent, manager, producer, director...) who I had solicited, has "bribed" the copyright office to not issue a copyright so they could.
Anyone have ideas on this challenge?
What type of work did you register your screenplay as?
As a screenplay Eoin O'Sullivan.
As a screenplay Eoin.
1 person likes this
When you start Step 1 of the online process, you are presented with a selection of works categories:
Literary Work
Work of the Visual Arts
Work of the Performing Arts
Motion Picture/Audio Visual Work
You then click on Type of Work and select the correct one.
Assuming you have selected the correct type, as you complete the online registration, if you are only submitting a screenplay, under what the Author created you select text.
If you tick music and/or lyrics, this is why you have been asked to supply this as part of your application.
Have you also completed the limitation on claim section correctly? If you have ticked Music and Lyrics in the New Material section, it's expected that these will be included as part of your application.
I recommend you review your application online - it's far more plausible that you need to amend this, rather than someone bribing someone at the LOC.
3 people like this
You do not bribe the copyright office. If you tried to register it as a musical, they need the score. Choose another category or describe it as a libretto for a musical, not as a musical.
Christiane. My first submission was in April 2021, AT& T Musical. A copyright was issued. No problem. As I submitted greatly improved revisions with different titles, the copyright office sent emails saying because the title indicates it's a musical, the music score must accompany it. Why wasn't this rule attached to the very first, severely deficient first screenplay AT&T Musical?
And corruption does exist! People bribe people. And plagarism has its roots and is firmly embedded in the motion picture industry.
1 person likes this
Just a reminder that you're not actually copyrighting anything. You are registering a claim to copyright with evidence.
The copyright office wanted permission to amend the application. I asked for the application to amend it myself. Eventually I gave them permission to amend it conditioned on their amendment does not inflict any injury or repress any right I have in my work.
Yet, I haven't heard back from them for my July 23, 2021 submission, and the August 12, 2021, Dallas Cowboy Musical. The latter, from an objective view, is an award-winning masterpiece!
1 person likes this
Carlv Coleman The idea that a producer would bribe the copyright office, if that were even possible, in the hope of ripping off your masterpiece is not credible. As it turns out they amended the application, so nobody is out to get you.
Potential for a good story here - Hollywood studio in cahoots with Copyright Office steals script for smash-hit movie from hapless writer. Who's going to write this sure-fire winner?
If you saw the logline for the other script my view of either theory is plausible.
3 people like this
Umm... it seems pretty straightforward to me. They asked for a musical score to include with your musical, you refused, so they refused to issue you a copyright. If you provide the musical score, I'm pretty sure they'll grant you the copyright.
Is the point of contention that you were previously able to get a copyright without one? That would be worth getting clarification on for sure. But if the previous copyrights have the score, then yeah... open and shut.