Hollywood loves IP, but there's more than comic book heroes and novels. If you’re working on a project based on a real-life person, you’ll likely need a “life rights” agreement. This on-demand webinar will walk you through life rights deals, what they entail, and how to negotiate them for your project.

Are you writing the next great Oscar-bait biopic?

Working on a limited series about a real-life figure?

Developing a show centering on the private life of a well-known family?

Or producing a documentary profiling someone publicly unknown?

If so, you’ll likely need to deal with a life rights agreement.

Without a life rights agreement with your subjects, you could be sued for defamation, invasion of privacy, and a host of other torts. While no one has a monopoly over the facts of someone’s life, United States law provides a patchwork of overlapping protections, waivers, and contractual obligations that provides you with the rights to tell a story with minimal legal risk. 

But first, you’ll need to understand these options and how to piece them together to secure your projects, and we have just the expert to walk you through it.

Thomas Crowell is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney and partner at LaneCrowell, LLP. He’s also a former television producer and director of development for STN, who currently counsels clients on entertainment law and intellectual property rights issues.

Thomas’s clients have made deals with Sony, Starz, TLC, Elsevier Publishing, Discovery Communications, Focal Press, Smithsonian Network, WE: The Women's Entertainment Network, The Science Technology Network, and IDW Publishing, and their work can be seen in the pages of Marvel and DC Comics.

In this exclusive Stage 32 on-demand webinar, Thomas will cover what “life rights” are exactly, the key components that makeup life rights, the structure of the agreements, how to negotiate them, and the most common mistakes to avoid when working on these deals.

You’ll explore the legal protections you need to work on stories of living subjects and outline the key issues of these agreements so that you can confidently move forward on your true story project.

PRAISE FOR THOMAS'S TEACHINGS:

"Thomas was very helpful, informative and I learned a LOT during the almost 2 hour webinar. " - Murray W.

"Thomas is great. I love a producer turned attorney because of the insight they can provide into various situations and life rights are so much more common in documentary than in narrative storytelling; so I appreciate his view on what this group of rights is and how to approach a life rights deal. " -David S.

"Flowing with knowledge and apparent honesty, an excellent workout for the nuance of the topic , information I'm certain to deal with." -Chris Z.

The Basics

• What are “life rights”
• Why and When do I need “life rights” (or not)
• Who can grant these rights?

Common Problems with “Life Rights” Deals

Key Components of “Life Rights”

• Intellectual Property
• Defamation
• Privacy
• Access
• Approval

The Structure of the “Life Rights” Agreement

• Grants
• Waivers
• Contractual duties
• Option for future services

Negotiating “Life Rights” Agreements

• The most common mistakes
• Who should be involved
• Some tips & tricks

Q&A with Thomas

All levels of directors (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn learn key components that makeup life rights, the structure of the agreements, how to negotiate them

All levels of writers (advanced, intermediate and beginner) looking to learn key components that makeup life rights, the structure of the agreements, how to negotiate them

Producers looking to learn key components that makeup life rights, the structure of the agreements, how to negotiate them

Actors looking to learn key components that makeup life rights, the structure of the agreements, how to negotiate them