Legal Question in Business Law in California

You are not the first person this has happened to. There have been many cases in this area and you should consult with an expert in entertainment law.

To answer your question, you had no contract at all. What you have is misappropriation of your intellectual property. Mr. Reich is correct that you should consult an expert entertainment lawyer.

You didn't say you had a contract. You may have a claim for misappropriation of your ideas. Such suits are frequently based on facts like yours. You'll have to prove your case, but if you have evidence to back up what you say, you may be able to.

Another word for "contract" is "agreement". You don't say whether there was any express or implied agreement or understanding with the company.

Generally, "Ideas" are as free as the air we breathe. Unless you submitted the material with some kind of agreement in place, or some other special relationship at work, you GAVE them the idea.

If they ASKED you to write the script, you may have some basis for a complaint, but if you did it 'on spec', it;'s doubtful you'd get anywhere claiming there's a contract unless there's actually something in writing.