Introducing: Invisible Comics

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Dave

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IM Comic #1 11/15/07

IM! - Perpetual Motion

I found a couple more.

Here's what I'm thinking.

Keep the format the way it is with word balloons and end it with a picture. We can use any picture people send (and allow us to use). We could call it "The House of Hal". Ties in the web name, the forum and the folks from the site.

Thoughts?
 
M

Matt²

Okay, here we go. The whole story from start to finish.

We want there to be more comics on the front page. I entertained some ideas and one leaped out at me.

Invisible Comics.

Trouble is, I want to write them. The person who came up with the idea originally had made 5 of them and copyrighted them. He wants to write them. So I made an offer to purchase the copyright. He's agreeable, but I have NO clue as to what an equitable price is.

So I'm asking you. I'm putting the first one I made below. Take a look at it and tell me if you think the idea has merit. If it does not, I probably won't buy it. If it might be worth it, I'd be paying some cash and an agreement of 50% of any merchandising profit - if any.

Here's what I will NOT do.

  1. I will not make minor changes in font or name to get around the copyright.
  2. [STRIKE]I will not make or post any more of these until we get this resolved.[/STRIKE]
  3. I will not allow insults against the person I'm talking to. It is his idea and he deserves the recognition.
I think you're making too many changes to the original concept in order to make your own. I think you should just make your own and call it whatever you want, and leave the other the way the person wants to do it.
 
Just an FYI.. *cough* you now CAN patent an idea in the USA For example "having something play automatically in a web browser" is patented, Microsoft had to pay the guy that patented in order for Internet Explorer to have that capability (a flash program playing automatically/a youtube video playing automatically) so technically all Dave would have to do it put out the money for a Patent of "A comic where the only thing seen are the characters text and the characters are never seen" then boom he could make the guy that "created" those comics either A)Pay him in order to use the concept or B) Take his comics offline. At the same time with Dave having that patent he could make use of it however he wanted. I'm just saying now.
 
Yes, but with the patent you could make the guy pay you to do his comics :) but I'm just an ass

edit: Here's the patent I was talking about

United States Patent 7779035

According to the invention, a system for downloading audio or video to a browser is disclosed. The system includes a media server, a content database and a web page. The content database includes the content object, and the content database is linked to the media server. The web page presented to the browser and includes a link to the content object. The link avoids activating an autoplay feature of the browsers should the link be activated.

edit 2: Can you copyright something that is patented by someone else?
 
NO, copyrights and patents are DIFFERENT and are used for DIFFERENT things! You cannot patent a comic!

Copyrights were originally used to protect literature but have been expanded to art (including music, paintings, sculpture, photography, cinema, and choreography), architecture, and computer programs.

Patents are used to protect a new process, machine, article of manufacture, material compound, or an improvement of the aforementioned. You bringing patents into the discussion of whether or not Dave should pursue this asinine comic idea is absolutely worthless because patents are not applicable here.
 

Dave

Staff member
Final update:

I spoke with some lawyers last week and was told that the only thing that could be held against me was the title. Everything else is basically open domain unless the thought bubbles give themselves names - then those names would be protected also. I showed them original comics by the author and the ones I posted and was told that the person would have no case.

But the author and I have worked things out without the lawyers. In fact, if he's reading this it's the first time that he's even heard I've spoken with lawyers. To him I want to make sure he knows I wasn't going to them trying to get out of paying but was trying to see if there was a standard cost/payment.

So look fairly soon for a comic called "The House of Hal" starring me and any forumite who sends me a picture that they want to use as the last panel.
 
IM Comic #1 11/15/07

IM! - Perpetual Motion

I found a couple more.

Here's what I'm thinking.

Keep the format the way it is with word balloons and end it with a picture. We can use any picture people send (and allow us to use). We could call it "The House of Hal". Ties in the web name, the forum and the folks from the site.

Thoughts?
I like them. Its a good idea and really allows forum participation. Here's one I really like: Twenty five minutes on Chatroulette.com is like a drill to the head. This was just a one shot but you get the general idea.
 
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