Script Clearance 101

Learn from an entertainment and intellectual property lawyer who's worked with HBO, NBCUniversal and Lionsgate how to protect your film or television project's future. 

PLUS! Receive Handouts Including A Production Rights Cheat Sheet and Sample Location Agreement

In today’s marketing world, your project’s title and content is its brand.

You’ll use your film or television project’s title for social media handles and the website URL. It’s one of the most vital tools for getting the word out about your project.

It can also be something that grows much bigger. For example, HARRY POTTER started as a book series, but the franchise includes movies, spin-offs, toys, clothing, theme parks, and so much more.

When determining the title for your project, you need to think of the bigger picture and how best to protect you title, and brand, to ensure it doesn’t conflict with other brands so that you can capitalize on your project from all angles.

In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, you’ll learn everything you need to know about title clearances and how to protect your project’s title and brand. You’ll also cover script clearances to ensure that you’re safe to include the people, places, real events, and existing material and brands you want to use without fear of reshooting your project from legal issues.

Without the necessary title and script clearances, your project could receive legal notices to halt marketing because of a conflict with another project. You might have to reshoot valuable footage if the script isn’t cleared. But you can avoid these stressful legal and financial setbacks by doing the work correctly now.

Walking you through these legal processes step by step is Kennington Groff, an attorney who launched her own firm, Lilenfield PC, to focus on entertainment and intellectual property. Kennington has extensive experience with clearances and has worked with top entertainment executives at HBO, NBCUniversal, and Lionsgate.

Kennington will show you how to protect your title and the differences with the process in the US versus internationally. You’ll cover error and omission insurance (E&O), the differences between copyright and trademark protection, finding out if your title isn’t available, and more.

Save yourself the time and frustration later by joining Kennington for this invaluable webinar, and protect your project’s future.

Title Clearance: Protecting your Film/TV Title

• What is Title Clearance
• Why you should clear a title (how is this different then below?)
• The Importance of clearing a title
• When you should clear the title
• The process of clearing title
• Title Protection Strategy After Clearance and Before Launch

• Ideal time to apply for protection

The Importance of E & O Insurance

• What is E&O insurance
• The role E&O plays in protecting your film
• The requirements of getting E&O (hint…title clearance is part of it)

Difference between Copyright and Trademark protection?

• Understanding Copyright?
• Can the name of my film/ TV show be protected through copyright law?
• Understanding a Trademark?
• Title should always be viewed in the context of US Trademark Law
• How trademarking can effect your title
• US vs. International Trademark Rights

Film vs. Television Series Title

• What can be protected and when?
• Factors that distinguish a single film from a multiple series adaption or television show
• The Pros and Cons for Title Clearance when joining the MPAA
• The Importance of thinking ahead

Understanding Key Terms in Title Clearance

• Likelihood of Confusion
• Distinctiveness
• Secondary Meaning

The 2 Kinds of Title Searches and the Pros and Cons of Each

• What are the 2 kinds of Searches?
• Weighing the Pros and Cons of each

Understanding Script Clearance

• What is script clearance
• Why is it crucial to the success of your film
• Who does it?
• The proper timing for Clearance
• Key items so watch for
• Fact verse Fiction
• Inspired by and based on stories
• Character and location names

Q&A with Kennington

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