I'm James Cameron
So back in the Digital Equipment Corporation days, when the internet was new, and people assumed there was some sort of central registration of e-mail addresses, I got lots of fan mail, script ideas, and fascinating offers from actresses. This really took off with Titanic. Especially the actresses. Titanic really inspired them.
Eventually a reporter tried the same search algorithm and found me. When Titanic won awards, I ended up in a Hong Kong newspaper being compared with the genuine article. He was said to be the "big" James Cameron, and I was the "little" James Cameron, much to the amusement of my OpenVMS colleagues who knew my height was what let me store more documentation in my cube.
Several of the script outlines were surprisingly similar to Asimov or Clarke stories. I mean really similar.
Looking at it from his perspective though, there's little one can do to verify that ideas sold to you aren't already somebody elses. There's no patent system for graphic art or stories, and the cost of trawling all published art would be prohibitive. It would be easier to keep good records and self-insure for later claims, whether they be legitimate or spurious.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
