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You probably could do it anyway and get away with it, but i'd guess Dan is right.

You absolutely need permission and to pay royalties.  Look in any script and it will tell you in no uncertain terms what your financial obligation will be.

Don't try doing this without it!  You'll get nailed.

Or write one yourself! 

justine wrote:

By the way, copyright infringement has nothing to do with making money

It is really the complete opposite. Copyrights are there to protect the owner from losing money. If you give something away (ie free ie your not making money) you are still preventing the copyright owner from making money.

mrreet2001 wrote:

justine wrote:

By the way, copyright infringement has nothing to do with making money

It is really the complete opposite. Copyrights are there to protect the owner from losing money. If you give something away (ie free ie your not making money) you are still preventing the copyright owner from making money.

They are there to prevent people from profiting off somebody else's work. The interpretation of the laws taken by the MPAA and RIAA are not necessarily the correct one.

Thanks to Disney, almost nothing will ever really hit the public domain, unless the original author or their estate releases it into the public domain.  Every time a certain Mouse is about to hit the public domain.. lo and behold... there is an extension on copyright made by legislators.

Denali wrote:

Wondering why "The Odd Couple" isn't public domain I thought there was like a 20 year limit on most stuff. (actually told that by someone want to get the facts straight)

I did find one site that has some public domain plays but if anyone has a list I would appreciate it.

That's not the way the law works.  Neil Simon is still very much alive and none of his works will become Public Domain until at least 70 years after his death.

Have you looked at the classics?  Ancient Greek?  Shakespeare?  Things like that would certainly be in the public domain.

Pithecanthropus wrote:

Denali wrote:

Wondering why "The Odd Couple" isn't public domain I thought there was like a 20 year limit on most stuff. (actually told that by someone want to get the facts straight)

I did find one site that has some public domain plays but if anyone has a list I would appreciate it.

That's not the way the law works.  Neil Simon is still very much alive and none of his works will become Public Domain until at least 70 years after his death.

Yup.  And iirc, if the rights are given to his family, they can continue to extend copyrights.

Ask permission - you may not have to pay.   The royalties are dependent upon the money you're making and change from house to publishing house and (probably) work to work.

The advice above about just finding someone to write you something is probably best.   We did that when I lived in Iceland worked very well.   Besides anyone who wants to have seen The Odd Couple already has, probably more than once.

Chickenhawk wrote:

mrreet2001 wrote:

justine wrote:

By the way, copyright infringement has nothing to do with making money

It is really the complete opposite. Copyrights are there to protect the owner from losing money. If you give something away (ie free ie your not making money) you are still preventing the copyright owner from making money.

They are there to prevent people from profiting off somebody else's work. The interpretation of the laws taken by the MPAA and RIAA are not necessarily the correct one.

Cool I didn't know that. I think I am going to go hand out a few hundred copies of leopard on the street corner. But it's OK because I am not making any money. Heck I am losing money. Maybe I should sue apple because their product is making me lose money.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright

.tsooJ

It's not about profit.  You could mount a play that no one came to and you'd still owe royalties.  You could mount a play where all the proceeds were going to cure cancer and you'd still have to pay royalties.

It's not making a profit that matters.