Comments on: Writing 101: Effective Dialogue Techniques

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:15:38 +0000

In reply to BECCA PUGLISI. Thanks!

By: BECCA PUGLISI

BECCA PUGLISI — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 13:15:39 +0000

Hi, Elizabeth. I wish I could offer advice on this, but the truth is that with of the specifics of your project, I just don’t know. You’re right to take any potential for copyright infringement seriously, but unfortunately, the rules around exactly what constitutes infringement are ambiguous and often are determined on a case-by-case basis.

For more information on this, I would check out Jane Friedman’s blog. She’s a veteran in the industry with a wealth of knowledge. A Google search of “jane friedman what constitutes copyright infringement” provides a dozen posts on various aspects of copyright.

By: V.M. Sang

V.M. Sang — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 10:16:30 +0000

Excellent advice, Becca. Thanks.

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:19:54 +0000

Hello, and thanks for another great article, but I have an unrelated question about the public domain and possible copyright issues. I’m not asking for legal advice, just your general advice and knowledge. I am writing an adaptation based on Bram Stoker’s Dracula, using character names from his novel, but changing their roles and personalities. In Stoker’s book, Dr. Seward’s asylum was an important part of the novel. I have included this place in my own work, however, instead of Dr. Seward, it is run by a character I have made up, who is Mina Murray’s father (he does not exist in the original novel). What I am concerned about is that in the Dracula films from 1931 and 1979 the asylum is run by a version of Dr. Seward who is the father of Mina ( in 1979, her name is switched to Lucy, but she is still essentially the same character). Nothing in my work mimics these movies, not dialogue, plot, or storyline, besides plot points and quotes taken directly from Bram Stoker’s original novel. My character is named Dr. Murray, but still, is just the fact that the asylum is run by Mina’s father enough to make Universal Studios sue me? In 2027 the Dracula film from 1931 will enter public domain, and supposedly I can reproduce, distribute, modify, and create derivative works based on this film. It is essential to my overall plot that Mina’s father runs the asylum; it’s not something that can be changed. But I certainly don’t want to infringe on copyright or make Universal mad. If you could give me your opinion on this I would deeply grateful.