Close
Can You Get Rights to a Person’s Life Story in a Film

Can You Get Rights to a Person’s Life Story in a Film?

Acquiring the rights to use a person’s life story in a film is an important step that some filmmakers opt to consider and others veer away from. The process can be complicated and messy. And typically requires the supportive assistance of legal counsel. No matter how creative a person you are, if you intend to use someone’s life story in a film? If there’s any potential for the average individual to key in on who the film is about, you’re going to need the life rights. But, can you get rights to a person’s life story in a film?

What are Life Rights?

Life rights represent a unique agreement between the individual and the filmmaker. It allows all personal details and characteristics that make up the person’s life to be used in a film.

But deciding to purchase a person’s life story is a big decision that not just any filmmaker can cross lightly. You’re not just purchasing the right to use someone’s name or their identity basics. It’s their entire life story!

Why Would a Filmmaker Purchase Life Rights?

So, why can’t a filmmaker just make the film about the person? Why not just change important details like the name of the individual or the name of other characters?

The bottom line is, if the individual or anyone who knows the individual could tell that the film is about that person’s life, then the filmmaker should have purchased life rights before making the film.

Why would a filmmaker want to purchase life rights? Because having life rights allows the filmmaker protection from any potential lawsuits. Lawsuits that may arise out of defamation, invasion of privacy or the right to publicity.

Advantages to Life Story Rights Agreements

So, can you get rights to a person’s life story in a film? YES! You can and you should! There are several advantages that can come along with seeking the life story rights agreements before you use someone’s life in your own film or for your own personal gain.

There are many clauses to protect life rights and to provide support for filmmakers that seek to have life story rights agreements prior to production.

Acquiring life rights is also advantageous because:

  • The agreement restricts the subject’s right to authorize other biographical works from other filmmakers.
  •  
  • An agreement will restrict the ability for third parties to use the life story in other ways.
  •  
  • The agreement will generally negotiate an exclusion which provides direct access for your production company to any news interviews or other documentary style films in the future.
  •  
  • An agreement will require that the subject obtain written releases from all family members that are mentioned in the film, further protecting your story from potential legal repercussions.

In Summary

As you can see, negotiating the life rights to a person’s life story being used in a film is possible, and important. Without life rights, you could face lawsuits for a variety of potential reasons. Most notably defamation, invasion of privacy, or publicity.  

BBP Legal Disclaimer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *