On an email list today I spotted Michael Papish’s reply to the question: “How can I protect my idea?”. While the answer is related to a new TV show, it applies beautifully to any business idea. I thought that the answer was too valuable to let it go to waste and Michael agreed to let me post it here:
Just a reminder, copyright covers the expression of an idea, not the
idea itself. If the item under discussion is a novel “idea” for a TV
show and not a script, you will gain little protection from copyright.
Not to mention the fact that there is no need to officially register a
work to gain any of the exclusive rights offered by copyright.
As with many things in the entertainment industry, the only real
protection is found from relationships. Hollywood (like VCs) won’t
sign NDAs and most protection comes from fear of gaining a
reputation/back-stabbing someone more powerful.
Also, (unlike some VCs), it would be rare for a TV production company
to actually accept a proposal from an outsider. Your friend’s best bet
might be to make a tearful video post to YouTube defending a
high-profile celebrity. That seems to results in immediate offers from
production companies nowadays 
Michael Papish is the CEO of Media Unbound, Inc.
