XPost: alt.startrek, alt.tv.star-trek, alt.tv.star-trek.enterprise   
   From: anybody@anywhere-anytime.com   
      
   In article , ToolPackinMama   
    wrote:   
      
   > Keeper of the Purple Twilight wrote:   
   > > On 2005-12-05 21:17:51 -0600, ToolPackinMama  said:   
   > >   
   > >> Al Smith wrote:   
   > >>   
   > >>>>> Know what Paramount should do? They should comission a series of   
   > >>>>> ten limited budget Trek films by different well known directors,   
   > >>>>> and run them as a miniseries on television. Just let the directors   
   > >>>>> do whatever stories they wanted to do. They could put the Trek   
   > >>>>> special effects team at the disposal of the different directors as   
   > >>>>> their films came up, so all the films would have a nice, uniform   
   > >>>>> look and feel. It would be fascinating to see what fresh minds   
   > >>>>> would do with the Trek universe.   
   > >>>>   
   > >>>> That's actually a very cool idea!  :)   
   > >>>   
   > >>> Thank you. Let's hope some eager young Paramont flunky is reading   
   > >>> this group, and decides to steal my idea and use it for his/her own   
   > >>> career advancement. We might see some decent Trek.   
   > >>   
   > >> If only they actually would "steal" some (freely offered) ideas from   
   > >> fans.  We would all be better off.   
   > >   
   > > They are legally prevented from doing so, AFAIK they could get sued if   
   > > they do that.   
   > > Which is why none of the authors ever frequent these NGs.   
   >   
   > But that is absurd!  You can't patent/copyright a "concept"!   
      
   That depends on how detailed you make it.   
      
   You obvious can't patent "device to breath underwater", but you can   
   patent / copyright "device to breath underwater utilising sponges and   
   grape jelly". Anyone who then makes a product using sponges and grape   
   jelly for breathing underwater could be in trouble.   
      
   Apple Computer (among others) patents concepts galore, many of which it   
   never uses or has any intention of using.   
      
   If you were to described a detailed storyline that then later turned on   
   on TV identically or "close enough", then the person claiming it as   
   there own would be in serious trouble (assuming you can prove you came   
   up with it first).   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)