FilmmakerIQ.com

The legality of using someone else’s fictional character?

Mark Galsor and Jesse Saivar tackle the question of what’s legal when dealing with fictional characters from other movies.

…Q: My company is producing a film which has a character that is taken from another very well known film. This new story has absolutely nothing to do with the […]

Documentaries and Films Based on True Life Stories

By Jon M. Garon
Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, PC
Despite the short-term glut in the market, documentaries have become an increasingly important part of the film industry as well as tools of public discourse. Since documentaries only rarely receive national theatrical distribution, audiences do not treat nontheatrical distribution as an aesthetic judgment […]

Are Sequels Fair Game?

by Dina Appleton & Daniel Yankelevits
Q: I am interested in writing a sequel to someone else’s movie. I was wondering, do I need permission from the original filmmakers, or can I just write the screenplay and market it as one of my own spec scripts?
Margaret C., Far Hills, NJ
A: Dina […]

Real Life Story Rights Q&A

Entertainment Attorney Mark Litwak helps writers navigate the tricky legal issues involved when portraying real life stories with this educational FAQ.
…Question: What are the legal issues pertaining to writing a screenplay based on someone’s life story? What rights need to be secured, etc.? Is it advisable to engage an […]

Protecting your Script

by Evan Smith
To steal someone’s car, money, parking space - that’s low. But to steal someone’s story? A little made-up tale? A hundred pages of FADE IN here and CUT TO there? Is that even stealing?
Um, how can we put this - YES, DAMMIT! It is! Stealing of the worst […]