How can a person prevent their TV show idea from being stolen?

Question from a subscriber

Constance Escobar writes:

“I’ve created a unique paranormal kind of series and have written about 3 thirty-minute episodes. What can an everyday person do to have their writing pitched without it getting copied and produced by someone else?”

Hi Constance,

There are ways to legally protect your script, but I’m not a lawyer, so I don’t give legal advice.

But as a professional TV writer, I do feel comfortable giving career advice.

My first tip is to be careful who you show your script to. Don’t show your script to the guy at Starbucks with the handlebar mustache pretending to be a big shot producer. Look up their credits on IMDB. If they don’t have any real credits, don’t give it to them. They’re not going to be able to help you anyway.

Legitimate producers probably don’t want to steal your idea

Why risk costly litigation? Even if they win, the legal fees would be a fortune. It costs a lot less just to pay you.