In another thread it was commented in passing that "plot elements" are copyright. The loosely-formed statement might naturally lead to an idea that you cannot describe the plot of a work. This conclusion would be false.
Copyright protection affords the author of a work a way to prevent others from profiting off their work in a form substantially similar to the underlying work. When there were only a few forms of tangible media, this wasn't an issue.
The essential feature of copyrighting plot elements, is to prevent a person from taking a book and turning it into a play, movie, audio recording which necessarily is *not* substantially similar to the original work in physical form, but yet is, in mode, tone, intent, characters and plot.
However I can take your movie, and create a spoof-book without violating your copyright, because parody enjoys a wide-ranging latitude from the copyright law.
Obviously it should be clear, that for the intents of describing a work for a review, you must actually describe it, and you may, just as well describe the first fifteen minutes, as the last, or the entire work. Since a review, or article, or synopsis, is not in-fact substatially similar, *even if* it gives away the entire plotline, there is no copyright infringement. The only time this would be an infringment is when, in fact, you are copying substantially someone else's plot line synopsis. Or in the case where your synopsis essentially *is the primary or motive cause* for people not to purchase the product. I don't know of actually any case where this has been shown to have occurred.
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