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- Title
The Motion-Picture Rights Contract: Legal Foundations and Trade Practices in the Studio Era.
- Authors
Moulton, Erica L.
- Abstract
This article relates the piecemeal history of the motion-picture rights contract—a legal document that emerged following several high-profile court cases that clarified the distinct existence of film rights from other subsidiary rights, including dramatic or theatrical. By delving into negotiations surrounding several film rights contracts between best-selling author Edna Ferber and Warner Bros., I demonstrate the tenuous relationship between the American copyright system and the trade practices developed by lawyers and agents. Without clear guidance on subsidiary rights, motion-picture rights contracts were inherently flexible documents, capable of bending to favor whichever side could leverage the most power.
- Subjects
WARNER Bros.; LEGAL rights; LEGAL documents; LAWYERS; NEGOTIATION; CONTRACTS
- Publication
Film History, 2023, Vol 35, Issue 1, p104
- ISSN
0892-2160
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2979/fih.2023.a911558