How to Learn About Copyright Laws for Film
While copyright laws for film are the same as copyright laws for any intellectual property, understanding the way those laws are applied to film can be a little trickier than with other forms of intellectual property. While the screenwriter originally owns the copyright to his script, he typically sells ownership, and his copyright, when a production company purchases the script, leaving the screenwriter out of the loop.
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Film production companies only purchase full copyright ownership of screenplays. This also gives them copyright to the film produced from the screenplay. Since film scripts often undergo many rewrites and cost so much to make, film companies need to own the copyright to protect their interest and to prevent the original writer from claiming that his work is being infringed upon.
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Investigate the film rights laws. These are the rights an author may sell to a film company to produce a derivative film work from his novel. These rights give the film company the right to make a movie. The film company will hold the copyright to the movie, but have no copyright claim to the book upon which the movie was based. Film rights are completely different than those of the book itself.
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Visit the United States Copyright Office anytime you need to fill out a copyright form for work you want to register for copyright. You can also transfer copyright ownership at the website. There is a comprehensive FAQ available to give you detailed legal information regarding any copyright questions you may have. Additionally, the Writer's Guild of America, East and West, offers resources for writers involving registration of screenplays and WGA rate fee requirements for registered film companies who wish to purchase your movie scripts.
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