Legal Question in Entertainment Law in California

Re: Sitcom Idea/Concet

As the previous answer states, there's no protection for ideas per se. If you're not already in the entertainment business, keep doing what you're doing. If you really want to spend the time and effort, you should find out what a treatment is and write one. Try going to Inktip.com, scriptpimp.com or donedealpro.com which are "industry" sites. Try writing the actual pilot script and then enter it in script competitions. You'll never absolutely protect your concept (it's probably already been done in one form or another) because the simpler your expression, the more likely it's been done. A treatment has more detail and a script is very protectible. You can register your treatment or script with the Writers Guild East for a modest payment. Your "great name" is not protectible unless you can claim it's a trademark, which is unlikely unless and until you can get the series produced.

Re: Sitcom Idea/Concet

It's very hard to protect the IDEA, you'll need to have good representation, preferably by a literary agent and an attorney before submitting the information to ANYONE. (even your closest friend.

Unless you're a screenwriter, you're unlikely to see much in terms of an ongoing royalty... more likely is some kind of job as a consultant on the show.

If you ARE a writer... write up a pilot script, and maybe a series bible BEFORE submitting it anywhere... THEN you have something protectible.