G'day Will (?),
In another thread it was commented in passing that
"plot elements" are
copyright. The loosely-formed statement might naturally lead to an
idea that you
cannot describe the plot of a work. This conclusion would be
false.
<snip/>
Obviously it should be clear, that for the intents of
describing a
work for
a review, you must actually describe it, and you may, just as well
describe
the first fifteen minutes, as the last, or the entire work. Since
a review, or
article, or synopsis, is not in-fact substatially similar, *even if*
it
gives away the entire plotline, there is no copyright infringement.
The only
time this would be an infringment is when, in fact, you are copying
substantially someone else's plot line synopsis. Or in the case
where your synopsis
essentially *is the primary or motive cause* for people not to
purchase the
product. I don't know of actually any case where this has been
shown to have
occurred.
There was a case about two years ago --- my, how time flies! --- where a Wikipedian had
written a mutli-sub-page retelling of the story of 2001: A Space Oddysey, interspersed
with analysis of the film's themes and the significance of its special effects. Not
only did it go into incredible depth of analysis, it also re-told the entire story
(quoting every line of dialogue, describing of every action). There was nothing (apart
from the spectacle of Kubrick's direction, of course) that could be gained from
watching the film that one wouldn't also get from reading the articles.
*That's* a copyright infringement.
--
Mark Gallagher
0439 704 975
http://formonelane.net/
"Even potatoes have their bad days, Igor." --- Count Duckula