Screenplay.com Forums

I have a little bit of an interesting situation before me here in San Francisco.

BACKGROUND

A while ago I decided that I wanted to start a coffee-shop discussion group for Dramatica users in the Bay Area. Border's Books was generous to grant me use of their meeting space two Monday evenings each month, which is very nice because they not only sell books (about writing), but they also have a very large coffee shop. It's a great space, and although seating is not a problem at this stage in our growth, the group is beginning to grow with regular attendees.

I have been completely transparent with my Dramatica skills to everyone who has attended and e-mailed me asking more questions: I am simply a licensed owner of Dramatica, Outline 4D, Movie Magic Screenwriter who uses all three programs to write for publication, and that I want to discuss and learn Dramatica Theory with a community of others because traveling to Burbank to attend the official group meetings is not realistic while I live in San Francisco. I've made it clear that I'm not certified by Write Bros., nor in any way affiliated with their company as an employee or sales rep. I like the software, I like the theory, and I simply want to continue learning and studying it in a group setting.

At the end of our meetings and in private e-mails, I have been told "you should charge to teach this."

MY QUESTIONS

Can I charge to teach Dramatica without conflict with Write Bros.?
Do I need to request permission to do so?
- If so, what's the procedure?
If I teach, is it limited to live workshops or, since I have the necessary web development & graphic skills, can I set up a fee-based online training environment?

Thanks,
Buck

Great questions. Here are some preconditions, and then some answers to your specific questions:

1. Proper trademark should be made wherever you use the Dramatica (r) registered trademark, for example, "Dramatica is a registered trademark of Write Brothers Inc. All Rights Reserved," or "Dramatica is a registered trademark of Screenplay Systems Inc. All Rights Reserved."

2. Proper copyright attribution should be made wherever you reference copyrighted material(s).

3. Proper attribution to the Dramatica creators, Melanie and me. For example: "Dramatica is based on theories and materials developed by Melanie Anne Phillips and Chris Huntley."

4. The site should have a statement clarifying, in explicit terms, that there is no business affiliation with Write Brothers Inc.

5. The site should have a statement clarifying, in explicit terms, that the opinions expressed are not those of those of Write Brothers Inc., Screenplay Systems Inc., Melanie Anne Phillips, or Chris Huntley, unless material is quoted, in which case proper attribution and copyright notice are required.

6. Write Brothers Inc., Screenplay Systems Inc., Melanie Anne Phillips, and Chris Huntley retain all rights to all their materials and may revoke their permission to use the copyrights and trademarks without notice.

NOTE: This is not a comprehensive list and shall not be seen as a grant of any rights to third parties, or limitations of the rights of Write Brothers Inc., Screenplay Systems Inc., Melanie Anne Phillips, or Chris Huntley.

Now on to your questions:

1. Can I charge to teach Dramatica without conflict with Write Brothers? YES

2. Do I need to request permission to do so? NO

3. Yes, you can teach live and/or online.

What would not be OK with us is for someone to create software applications using our trademarks, copyrighted materials, and or patents. If you ever consider something like that, please speak to us first.