Has any screen writer paid somebody for their screenplay idea/suggestions?

I daresay it happens occasionally. But it would be a very informal arrangement.

Maybe an amateur who can't come up with their own ideas... I can't imagine a real writer paying someone for their ideas/suggestions. That'd be stupid of them considering that coming up with your own is a big part of the job in the first place. At best, they might write a quick "thank you" for the inspiration or support on the cover page or before diving into the first scene. Real screenwriters already have a long list of ideas, loglines, and outlines - more than they will ever get to write a script for.

The truth is nobody wants or needs ideas. There's no shortage, every other person around you has them. It's like trying to sell air. Besides, ideas are by far the easiest part. So no one pays for them either. They pay for fully-written material - and they pay *the writer*, not the other way around.

Legally, ideas don't belong to anyone. You can't copyright ideas. That'd be like copyrighting your thoughts. That's what ideas are, at the end of the day. Thoughts.

The only exception is if you're a big name in the industry and you've already sold fully-written scripts for successful franchises. Then a producer might pay you for ideas (not a screenwriter). Then again, the writer is the one getting paid. Not you, the person whispering in his/her ear.

Screenwriters also do assignments. An assignment is when a screenwriter is hired (by the producer) to do things like rewriting someone else's script, writing one (and an outline) from scratch based on the producer's vision and needs, punching up lines, adapting a novel, etc. under a deadline. The writer may voice their opinion or offer alternatives. For example, they might not agree with the direction the protagonist is going, so they may suggest a different approach. Unless the producer is a douche who will try to get the writer to work for free, the writer will get paid for this job... Then again, they will expect you to do the actual writing part, so that's not the same thing.

More often than not the script is not bought on spec at all. Meaning, instead of buying a pre-written one, the producer is the one coming up with the idea and then they hire a screenwriter or screenwriters to do an assignment (write the script or whatever they need from them). You could become a producer... Then again, you're the one paying (the writer and the rest of the crew), not the other way around.

So, yeah, irrelevant.

Beyond all that, as opposed to screenwriters and producers, as the "whisperer," the "idea-generator," you don't know what you're doing. You don't know what works, in today's market and in general, and what doesn't. You don't understand the business aspect or take it into account during the process. Because, see, even ideas are not just ideas. There's more to it. It's called "show biz" for a reason. You don't know what it takes or what a good idea is to begin with. Aspiring screenwriters need to learn the craft AND the business of it. The two go hand-in-hand. Therefore, your ideas and suggestions are not that useful. No one needs *you* to get the job done.

Explanation a little long, but I hope it clarifies.

Anyway, if you're asking because you're thinking of becoming an "idea-generator," I suggest that you either pursue screenwriting and write the scripts yourself or forget about your ideas altogether.

Yes, this has happened in the history of the World.

Not unless the somebody is somebody the typical moviegoer has heard of, and is happy for the movie producers to use their name in the movie's publicity.

There's no market for ideas for stories, for the same reason there's no market for fresh air or sunshine - massive oversupply. Ideas for stories are everywhere, if you know how to recognise them. Anyone who's capable of writing a screenplay that's good enough to be produced doesn't need anyone else's ideas for what to write about, because they already have more of their own than they know what to do with.

Screenwriters do sometimes get brought in to rework or rescue someone else's screenplay, but that's the decision of the producer or director or studio (because they're the ones paying the new screenwriter, not the original writer).

I doubt it. I'm a novelist, but I know a few screenwriters online. Nobody has any shortage of ideas.

So if you have a great idea, you won't get money for it. Even if it's legitimately amazing, nobody wants it for their own work.

I daresay it happens occasionally. But it would be a very informal arrangement.

No. Outside ideas are not used,  for liability reasons.