US man seeks movie plotline patent

[RoyGBiv]

This has gone beyond ridiculous. If you write a song or a novel, okay, I get the whole "intellectual property" thing and can support that to certain extents. But this ... well, this is where it is all headed. I suppose I should seek to patent all story ideas involving a blue-eyed main character. Sheesh.

Audacious plan for zombie script
By OUT-LAW.COM
Published Friday 4th November 2005 16:37 GMT

Moviemakers could sleepwalk into patent infringement if the US Patent Office grants an application that it published yesterday for a “storyline patent.” It is a groundbreaking attempt to protect a fictional storyline with a patent, rather than relying on copyright protection.

<snip>

Knight's story, The Zombie Stare, tells of an ambitious high school kid, consumed by the anticipation of college admission. He prays one night to remain unconscious until he gets the good news from MIT. The letter arrives - 30 years later, due to a postal error - and he wakes up. He soon discovers that, to all external observers, he has lived a normal life. Thus he endeavours to regain 30 years’ worth of memories, lost as an unconscious, philosophical zombie.

His Patent Office application is drafted more widely than this synopsis, to protect his rights, should they be granted, against a range of potential Hollywood adaptations. According to the abstract of his 14-page application:
A process of relaying a story having a timeline and a unique plot involving characters comprises: indicating a character's desire at a first time in the timeline for at least one of the following: a) to remain asleep or unconscious until a particular event occurs; and b) to forget or be substantially unable to recall substantially all events during the time period from the first time until a particular event occurs; indicating the character's substantial inability at a time after the occurrence of the particular event to recall substantially all events during the time period from the first time to the occurrence of the particular event; and indicating that during the time period the character was an active participant in a plurality of events.

Knight has confirmed that he will assert publication-based provisional patent rights against anyone whose activities may fall within the scope of these published claims, including all major motion picture manufacturers and distributors, book publishers and distributors, television studios and broadcasters, and movie theatres.

[ikri]

1. He might have trouble there

Since that's a pretty similar plot outline to 13 going on 30. The ages, timespan and sex are different but I can't see anything in this storyline that's significantly different to a film that already exists.

On the idea of granting patents for film plots, people are going to get into trouble with that whole prior art aspect since 90% of all films are just other films rehashed.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to patent the romantic comedy.

[Walt Starr]

3. That does go to prior art

but this guy is a patent attorney, so I suppose he's come up with an argument for that.

This is why written works are protected under copyright. Unfortunately, there is precedent for written works to be patented when software companies went beyond the point of no return and started patenting software.

[Swamp Rat]

2. Fuck that! I'll register a patent for "amnesia!"

Knight will have to pay me royalties for 30 years, at which point he will remember that he is an idiot. :D

[Buns_of_Fire]

4. Vanna, I'd like to buy a vowel

I'll see his script and raise him an "a". You see, I'm preparing to patent the letter "a". As soon as the patent is approved, anything written in the English language that contains the letter "a" will have to forward royalties to me. (I could have gone for all the vowels, but I didn't want to appear greedy.)

Knight's story, The Zombie Stre, tells of n mbitious high school kid, consumed by the nticiption of college dmission. He prys one night to remin unconscious until he gets the good news from MIT. The letter rrives - 30 yers lter, due to postl error - nd he wkes up. He soon discovers tht, to ll externl observers, he hs lived norml life. Thus he endevours to regin 30 yers’ worth of memories, lost s n unconscious, philosophicl zombie.

See, it's not so hrd! On the other hnd, perhps Mr. Knight should focus on writing the dmned story?