Entertainment & Media

Execute clear written agreements for every contributor — option/purchase agreements for underlying rights, writer agreements, director agreements, producer agreements, talent agreements, crew deal memos, and music licenses. Each should include express IP assignment (or license with clear scope) and a work-for-hire clause where applicable. Register key works with the U.S. Copyright Office. Clean chain of title is what distributors and E&O carriers look for — gaps cause delays, price reductions, or deal failure.

Yes, but interests in a film or media project are almost always securities under federal law, even if the investor receives a profit interest rather than shares of stock. Reg D exemptions (typically 506(b) or 506(c)) apply, requiring appropriate offering documents, accredited-investor procedures, and Form D filings. State Blue Sky filings are required in each state where an investor resides. Non-compliance creates personal liability for principals.

Related: Capital Raising · Securities Offering

Typically two licenses: a synchronization license from the music publisher (for the composition) and a master-use license from the record label (for the specific recording). Festival or commercial use typically requires broader licenses than personal or student projects. Cover versions of existing songs require sync licenses from the publisher and a new master recording. Original scores should be commissioned with work-for-hire language to make the project the copyright owner of the score.

Right of publicity protects an individual's name, likeness, and identity from unauthorized commercial use. It is a state-law right (California has both statutory and common-law rights of publicity). Trademark protects brand identifiers used in commerce. The two can overlap — a celebrity's name may function as both a trademark and a right-of-publicity protection. Using someone's name, likeness, or distinctive attributes in a commercial context without consent typically requires right-of-publicity clearance.

Related: Intellectual Property

Errors-and-omissions insurance protects producers, distributors, and financiers against claims arising from the content — including IP infringement, defamation, right of publicity, and privacy claims. Most distributors require E&O as a condition of distribution. Carriers require legal-review of the project (script clearance, title reports, clearance checklists) before issuing the policy. Building the clearance record during production is far more efficient than reconstructing it during E&O application.