Q: What should I be aware of re: ownership if I submit an unsolicited screenplay to a studio?
A:
I would register your screenplay with the US Copyright office BEFORE submitting it anywhere. The age old "poor man's copyright" (i.e. mailing the creative work to yourself and keeping in a sealed envelope) doesn't really protect you like a valid copyright registration does, nor does it give you the right to collect statutory damages for infringement.
After you've registered your work, I'd still be weary of submitting any unsolicited material. If you do send something, know that most, if not all studios will not sign an NDA of any kind because of the amount of content they receive/create on a daily basis, so there's a good chance that they already have something substantially similar in their possession. It's for that reason that studios also often won't even accept unsolicited material (or even open an email contain such material, for that matter).
If you do happen to get the studio to review your material, you have to just trust that they are going to act in good faith and not blatantly steal your work -- and if they do, then you'll be glad you've registered your work for copyright.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
