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How Can Writers Protect Their Scripts?
Author: Scarinci Hollenbeck, LLC
Date: February 3, 2014
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On any given day, there are probably hundreds – if not thousands – of TV and movie scripts floating around Hollywood and just a select few get picked up and green-lighted for production.
Sharing scripts with so many people could put them at risk of being leaked – just ask Quentin Tarantino, who recently sued Gawker for leaking a script to his film “The Hateful Eight.”
Protecting One’s Script
Fortunately, there are steps writers can take to protect their scripts that make it possible to pursue legal action if someone improperly uses the work:
– Intellectual property registration: As soon as a motion picture of TV script is produced, it is automatically copywritten if the author’s name, date and the word ‘copyright’ is placed on the document. However, this doesn’t necessarily protect the script in the case of litigation, so further steps may need to be taken.
– Protection through the U.S. Copyright Office: An additional step that can be taken by screenwriter is to file for protection through the U.S. Copyright Office, which can issue a formal copyright. This type of protection is needed before anyone can bring a lawsuit against someone for copyright infringement. The process can take up to six months, so it is best to get the wheels in motion early on.
– Protection through Hollywood Script Express: Screenwriters who don’t want to wait the six months for the U.S. Copyright Office can use the registration service of the Hollywood Script Express. This creates a digital timestamp of a script, and the organization will provide documented evidence of registered work if needed during litigation.
- Industries: Entertainment & Media
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