Timeline for Can I get copyright protection for someone else's character?
Current License: CC BY-SA 4.0
6 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 24, 2023 at 17:44 | comment | added | interfect | I'm assuming that just giving a character a name and like a job title doesn't qualify it for copyright protection. Maybe the original book has a garbage man named Steve Haroldson who is on one page and says "Morning!". My story is about a garbage man Steve Haroldson and his deep pathos as his relationship with his husband slowly grows more distant every day. I tell everyone that yes it is meant to be the same guy from that other book. | |
| Oct 24, 2023 at 16:06 | comment | added | Nuclear Hoagie | "Sufficient delineation" implies that the same character can be identified in different appearances with consistent characteristics. If the original character is indeed insufficiently delineated, I question whether the more-detailed version can even be identified as the same character. If the original author can point to your character and argue it is indeed the same character, it sort of invalidates the premise that the author's character was insufficiently delineated - there simply must be particular characteristics in common between both characters to draw the link between them. | |
| Oct 24, 2023 at 15:54 | answer | added | Mindwin Remember Monica | timeline score: 1 | |
| Oct 24, 2023 at 14:39 | comment | added | Nuclear Hoagie | @JonCuster It's certainly possible to copyright characters. James Bond, Rocky, and E.T. are all characters protected by copyright independently of the works they appear in. | |
| Oct 24, 2023 at 14:31 | comment | added | Jon Custer | You seem confused on just what copyright covers. | |
| Oct 24, 2023 at 14:13 | history | asked | interfect | CC BY-SA 4.0 |