NationStates Jolt Archive

I know alot of people will say I'm stupid, but I need to know this. If I published a story that took many ideas from NationStates and Jennifer Government, would there be any problems in doing that? Please at least one person answer seriously.

I know alot of people will say I'm stupid, but I need to know this. If I published a story that took many ideas from NationStates and Jennifer Government, would there be any problems in doing that? Please at least one person answer seriously.

I would have to say yes, seen as NationStaes is based on the book Jennifer Government by Max Barry.

But I suppose it would depend on what sort of ideas you're talking about. You would be better off talking to Max Barry himself than us.

I know alot of people will say I'm stupid, but I need to know this. If I published a story that took many ideas from NationStates and Jennifer Government, would there be any problems in doing that? Please at least one person answer seriously.
Well, I don't know about taking ideas from NationStates, I don't think there'd be a problem with that ("taking them" as in writing about them in a story, not as in using them to make a copy-cat game).

Jennifer Government is a different matter, obviously, being a book.
It would depend on how closely you're copying stuff. Actual plagiarism is a no-no, of course.
As for taking some of the ideas for your own stories, you'd have to look up copyright law (though that might differ from country to country).
That girl from Harvard (keep forgetting her name) fared rather badly with "just being influenced a bit her favourite author" recently. :/

Well I used some of the countries on here, the idea of many things being privatized, and used some of the things based off the issues on here. I probably won't even publish it, but wanted to know just in case.

Well I used some of the countries on here, the idea of many things being privatized, and used some of the things based off the issues on here. I probably won't even publish it, but wanted to know just in case.

What do you mean, "some of the countries"? Actual NS nation names?

Other than that, what you say sounds unproblematic to me, seeing how nobody has a patent on the idea of "many things being privatized", and the NS issues are just political/social/religious/whatever topics.

Well by nations, I mean that all of them are my own or friends that I know personally and agree with letting me use it.

Well by nations, I mean that all of them are my own or friends that I know personally and agree with letting me use it.
Eh, that's fine then.
As is the rest, I'd think.

I'm not a copyright lawyer, though. :p

Well, I'm only 14, so I don't know much about copyright laws and probably won't be publishing a book anytime soon.

Well, I'm only 14, so I don't know much about copyright laws and probably won't be publishing a book anytime soon.

If it turns out pretty good, it'll still bug you if it's too close to the orig. to avoid copyright issues and you end up having to change stuff.

I had a place name that I thought of FIRST (like 15 years first), and by a cruel twist of fate, a huge megacorp ended up using the same name in one of their series. I wish I had copyrighted it right away instead of deciding to wait until I got my final version done! :(

So now I'll have to make up a new name if I ever want to publish the book, since they made it to the TM office first (and it's extremely unlikely that they stole it from me...just one of those things, I guess, like how Bell gets credit for the phone since he made it to the patent office first, even though that other guy thought of it too).

Publication of my book is probably unlikely, but it still grates the hell out of me! :( :mad:

You have the luxury of knowing in advance that there may be problems. If it was me I'd write accordingly, rather than have to change "your baby" (which will seem more like mutilation if you get attached to it) if you decide to submit it for publication someday.

Fergi America;11987407']If it turns out pretty good, it'll still bug you if it's too close to the orig. to avoid copyright issues and you end up having to change stuff.

I had a place name that I thought of FIRST (like 15 years first), and by a cruel twist of fate, a huge megacorp ended up using the same name in one of their series. I wish I had copyrighted it right away instead of deciding to wait until I got my final version done! :(

So now I'll have to make up a new name if I ever want to publish the book, since they made it to the TM office first (and it's extremely unlikely that they stole it from me...just one of those things, I guess, like how Bell gets credit for the phone since he made it to the patent office first, even though that other guy thought of it too).

Publication of my book is probably unlikely, but it still grates the hell out of me! :( :mad:

You have the luxury of knowing in advance that there may be problems. If it was me I'd write accordingly, rather than have to change "your baby" (which will seem more like mutilation if you get attached to it) if you decide to submit it for publication someday.

Out of curiosity, what was the name of the place copyrighted?

I think, technically speaking, everything written here is 'owned' by NS or Max, or something. If it's material that you or your friends generated, I wouldn't really worry about it. If it's from someone else, that might be an issue, but 'idea theft' (totally made that term up) is hard to prove. That whole "only seven stories" thing. It's why aspiring internet millionaires won't tell you their ideas or paranoid screenwriters won't tell you their stories.

Taking from Jennifer Government is different, as noted. Concepts, like mass privitazation, that's universal-but naming yourself after the company you work for might be seen as infringement. Really, it's a specific thing rather than a general thing.

I think just yesterday people here patented most things possible. So yeah, may be problems :)

I think just yesterday people here patented most things possible. So yeah, may be problems :)

Yeah, most of NSG is going to be suing the be jesus out of each other for all of eternity.

Yeah, most of NSG is going to be suing the be jesus out of each other for all of eternity.

And that's different from the way things had been before...how?

And that's different from the way things had been before...how?

We'll be insulting each other in court as opposed to here.

Well, I'm only 14, so I don't know much about copyright laws and probably won't be publishing a book anytime soon.

I don't think you get too much choice as to wether a book is published - you need to find a publisher to do agree to spend money on publishing it