Thread: is this copywriting.

you mean violating copyrights? Don't you?

Copyrighting (I don't think you can say so though) would be the process when someone gets their copyright witch would mean that the product (whatever it is- a written work, a picture, a logo and so on) or the products idea belongs to them and if someone uses it to get good to themselfes, they violate the law and can be punnished.

And I think those might be violating copyrights- that is- copying the idea or something, but I can't be sure, because I know little of what you are talking about, maybe you can search for some information on the internet. Maybe those products (witch you think are copied) are not even copyright protected...

I have already explained the Shinobi/Basilisk connection in another thread. Neither of those invented the story. They are both (and others like Ninja Scroll) based on the same original story series called Ninpōchō, written by Fūtarō Yamada.

Originally Posted by Hassun

I have already explained the Shinobi/Basilisk connection in another thread. Neither of those invented the story. They are both (and others like Ninja Scroll) based on the same original story series called Ninpōchō, written by Fūtarō Yamada.

so were they allowed to use this storyline and just run with it?.

Originally Posted by blakjapaneseangl

so were they allowed to use this storyline and just run with it?.

They were both official adaptations... so, yes.

They purchased rights to the television and film adaptations respectively.

Sort of like how Ursula K Leguin's "Tales of Earthsea" has been adapted into an American television mini-series and a Japanese animated film. Both have unifying plot elements (from the original novel). It doesn't necesarily imply any connection between the two derivative works, only that they've both obviously drawn on the same source material.

The original novel ("Koga Ninpocho") was written in the late 1950s and has had 3 manga adaptations, 1 anime adaptation and 1 film adaptation.

"Ninja Scroll" (Jubei Ninpocho) is also loosely connected.

There's a big difference between copyrights, trademarks and plain ol' plagarism.

Usually, a name, logo or character is trademarked--meaning you cannot use that name for anything you plan on mass-producing for the public--because it's already used.

A copyright is usually for novels, stories, sometimes business names and things of that nature. Almost the same thing as a trademark.

Now to answer your question, I wouldn't call it copyright infringment. Example: I've watched Air Gear, I've played Jet Set Radio and JSRF. Yeah, they both use high powered skates, but here's the difference. JSR and JSRF are mainly about spraypainting/tagging. Air Gear is more concerned with the skating. Yeah, JSR has practiaclly the same equipment used in Air Gear, but the key difference is within the plot itself. No trademarks were violated and no copyrights were infringed. Otherwise, you'd see Sega's lawyers doing backflips to get that money! LOL. And Sega would've started making consoles again. (It can't hurt to dream, LOL)

I think the core of the problem you have, blakjapaneseangl, is that your definition of copyright is wrong.

According to Wikipedia, a Copyright is "a set of exclusive rights that regulate the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. At its most general, it is literally "the rights to copy" an original creation. In most cases, these rights are of limited duration. The symbol for copyright is "©", and in some jurisdictions may alternatively be written as either (c) or (C)."

Those works you mentioned could not have been published legally without obtaining permission first, or in the case of writing about legend and folklore, or anything that is older then 50 years after the death of the original copyright holder, the subject being in the public domain, which means it belongs to the public and is fair game.