Just wondering if there are any legal issues with retelling classic stories, such as the animated film Treasure Planet clearly being a retelling of Treasure Island, or the modern Dracula movies being based on the book or more recent retellings - ie Cars being Doc Hollywood, the new Omen, Exorcist, and the ultimate copy: Psycho (every scene was copied).

How close can you get before you get sued, or can you even get sued?

Colin M

Well, plot counts as an idea, and there's no copyright in an idea, despite what the authors for HBGC try to prove. As long as you don't the expression of that idea - the actual words - you should be all right. Zadie Smith's On Beauty is a version of Howard's End, for example, and that's fine (and not just because HE is out of copyright).

Emma

<Added>

Tsk! As long as you don't copy the expression of that idea

Cheers.

But, HBGC ?

Did you mean Holy Blood, Holy Grail?

I know for sure that Dracula is up for grabs. I'm a quarter way through rewriting that, shamelessly, but not, I feel, as shameless as some modern vampire movies.

JB

Did you mean Holy Blood, Holy Grail?

Yes, sorry!

Emma

I know for sure that Dracula is up for grabs

In what way? - Do you mean to use the name under licence? How does that work?

The entire novel is out of copyright. Hence so many rubbishy books and movies on the theme.

JB

Is copyright not 70 years after the author's death or something? Then you can use characters at will?

70 years after publication, or after the author's death if that's later, I think.

Some of the big media companies are campaigning to have it extended in perpetuity, so they can go on having the exclusive rights to sell Harry Potter duvet covers FOREVER.

Emma

It’s 70 years after the death of the author, not 70 years after publication.

Yes. Life +70years, or 70 years after publication if it's published after the author's death.

Emma

What if the author is already dead when they write it?

JB