Who owns images created for a book collaboration that went nowhere?
Question: I created a number of illustrations for a book collaboration with another person that never came about. I have copyrighted the images myself & wish to use them for another project, but the ‘author’ of the other ‘book’ thinks that he has “copyrighted them to the original book idea” & has threatened to take legal action against me if I try to use them in any way. Is it even possible to “copyright an idea/ or related images to an idea or text manuscript” that is not a finished publication? I would like to use the images myself for either a similar book that I have written a new text for, or a different book (that I have also written the text for) & related promotional materials (t-shirts & postcards etc) but am concerned about any possible retaliation. Any advice most appreciated! Pat’s response: There’s no easy answer to this one. Yes, you can copyright something that was not published, but you cannot copyright an idea. You can only copyright the expression of an idea. If you l
