Licensing agreements

Licensing agreements in scriptwriting are legal contracts that allow for the use of another man’s or woman’s intellectual property: books, plays, songs, or other scripts. These agreements include the manner and conditions under which the licensed material may be used, with aspects that spell out things like the duration of licensing, the scope of rights granted, geographical limitations, and so on.

They also stand for the financial terms of upfront fees, royalties, or profit-sharing agreements. It’s hence important for the writers and producers to spell out their intention and agree to terms that will protect parties’ interests while respecting creators’ rights.

Much of the licensing agreements usually have provisions related to creative control, approvals, and credit attribution to make sure respect toward the vision of the original creator is maintained. Such careful attention to these agreements can help in avoiding legal disputes and putting the creators into collaborative relationships wherein all parties benefit from the use of their intellectual property.

Watch the following video by Scriptfella about the 7 Dealpoints You MUST Have in Screenwriting Contracts.