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Lazu
Dec '20

So this is a little ethical question, or what to call it.

The short version is that I have a short comic script I wrote lying around. I just re-read it, really like it, and kinda want to do something about it. But I don't know if that would be alright.

Here is the story behind, which is not so short however.
Some months ago an artist wrote me about wanting to make a comic/webtoon together, which I said yes to. I really liked her art, so everything should be fine. We decided to work on a short comic first to see if the partnership would work, or not. Then we started to brainstorm, and from that brainstorm, where both of us came with ideas, I came up with some more concrete plotlines made from the concepts of different ideas, and she got to pick from that.
So far so good.
We settled on idea A, which I started to write the script for.
However, I suddenly got struck with inspiration from Idea B (That she hadn't chosen), which made for an entire 3 chapter script at 4 in the night, when I was sleep deprived, and just filled with writing juice. I then ended up writing the entire thing on my own initiative.

I did send it to her and ask if she wanted to do that instead, but she wanted to do idea A still, which was fine enough.

But then I was left with Idea B, the script I wrote on my own initiative, from an idea we kinda/kinda not came up with together.

And now I don't really know if I'm technically allowed to use it for something or not, since the formation of ideas is hard to define ownership of.

Tbh, I wish I could just ask her about it, but she suddenly disappeared from where we were in contact, then came back, and now has disappeared again, so I don't know when I can expect an answer, if I can at all...

So my question to this complicated thing is simple enough:

Can I use the script I wrote myself, on my own initiative, but based on some of the ideas I came up with, with another person?

I did write it all on my own, came up with the characters, the setting, the dialogue and so on, on my own. The only thing I've used from our brainstorm is an idea for a concept.

Sorry it became a bit long, but I don't want to do anything wrong, and am just a lot in doubt about this... xD
Thank you for reading this far, though!

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rajillustration
Dec '20

Yeah. You did like 90% of the work and she bounced. Coming up with an "idea" does not give you copyright of the work, and if you are worried about offending her, you can change the names and mix it up a little bit so it's less recognizable. Now if she came up with character designs and visual stuff that you're still using--you should probably not use those designs. Like anything where it's like "here's my OC" that she gave to idea B--change up that OC.

But it sounds like she's probably got a lot going on right now so she may have...she may have just bounced...but maybe she'll get back to you before you ever get around to posting this comic? Comics take a long time to make.

Lazu
Dec '20

Thank you for answering!

So, the idea she helped come up with was basically only a very broad concept. So none of her OC's, names, visual aspects or anything of the sort.

It's more like, the things leading up to me writing the script had her involved, and as I wrote, I did offer her to make it instead of our other thing, where she ended up saying no.

And well, she might come back before, yea, but I still don't think she would be interested in making it, so it's only the idea concept I'm worried about her getting mad about me "taking" or what to call it (We did get to the idea from a brain storm we made together, so it's not solely one of us that 'owns' it)

rajillustration
Dec '20

It's really hard if not impossible to make an idea that is fully new and different so like...this is probably fine.

Lazu
Dec '20

True... xD
I think the thing I'm mostly worried about is that she will somehow feel like I'm taking "Our" idea and making it "My" idea.

I've tried to imagine what I would think if the situation was reversed, and personally I also thing the idea is so abstract in itself, that it's the execution that matters, which is what I have done on my own, and not worry.

But people are different, so you know :grimacing:

rajillustration
Dec '20

Who knows, maybe she's doing the same exact thing right now haha, and you'll have two comics that started in the same place and ended up doing completely different things with the same idea.

Lazu
Dec '20

That would be super funny, and totally awesome xD

Oh well, guess I'm gonna keep thinking for a little while, and maybe end up trying to do something about it in the end. Or get so busy with my other projects it doesn't matter anyway :joy:

scribesunlimited
Dec '20

If you didn't have any kind of signed agreement as to the story content, and the artist is not following through on the project, go for it. It's mostly your work.
If she wants to complain about it later, offer her a percentage if it goes anywhere. :smiley:
But I get the feeling she could care less about it.
Show us what you got.

DiegoPalacios
Dec '20

If you gave it your own twist and touch, i don't see any problem with it.

therosesword
Dec '20

So you have this in writing that she blew it off? I think you're good both from a legal and ethical point.

Also, check and see if where you are (if you're in the US) and see if there are legal questions for the art pro bono on line. I'm sure outside of the US there are groups too.

Personally I think it's pretty cool that you're concerned about this and don't want to move forward until it's all cleared up. Integrity isn't always that easy to find.

But, like I said, if she wrote you back, doesn't matter if email, FB or text, if you've got it where she says no she wants to go with the other... you're good.

Lazu
Dec '20

I just found what I have in writing, and she isn't actually directly writing "I don't want to go with B I want to go with A" She is just writing "I still want to work on A". So it's not super clear, but from sub text, it should be okay, I think. It was just a mutual understanding we wouldn't be working on it and only working on the other, it seems. Nothing direct, sadly /:

From a quick search, I don't think my country even has that kind of laws... We also aren't from the same country, so maybe that makes it even more complicated, idk.

And thanks^^

therosesword
Dec '20

Trying to remember all the contract work I did with my last company. Preferably you have precise verbiage of yes and no but... her intent is pretty clear with "I still want to work on A" so I still think you're in the clear plus am I safe in assuming you'd still work on A with her and just do B as your own project?

If you know of anyone in your country attorney wise who could help (for free preferably) or maybe a law student, it wouldn't hurt asking.

Also, considering you're not from the same country I would think if she suddenly started getting nasty about you working on this by yourself it would be time and moneywise expensive.

Best of luck.

Lazu
Dec '20

Yea, you are correct in assuming so^^
I also don't want to go forward with A alone, as that is something we for sure made together, and got further with, and came up with plot points, characters and such together. Where B is much more my own thing, based on an idea we talked about. Which is where I got my doubt.

But thank you for your help. As it happens, I actually have a friend that studies law, whom I could ask. Thanks for the suggestion.

And true. I don't really think she would come after me with the law anyway, and it mostly is the morality of it that I want to be sure of. But so far it seems like I can do what I want with the script.

Thanks again :slight_smile: