Motion Picture Film Copyright Laws & Legal Protections for Intellectual Property
The use of copyrighted material is commonplace in the film industry. Filmmakers use copyrighted intellectual property as the basis for their own scripts or film projects, they use copyrighted footage within the movies and motion pictures that they produce, and they incorporate copyrighted songs and music into their productions. The list of ways that filmmakers use copyrighted material really is long and includes many different scenarios which is why filmmakers must understand legal protections that are put in place to provide intellectual property owners with specific rights to their creative works including various film copyright laws as they apply to motion pictures.
Film copyright laws protect the visual imagery and accompanying sounds or music that are used in the creation of motion picture films, television shows, and various other creative works.
From short films and animated cartoons to television commercials and feature film productions. Anytime literary works, musical works, sound recordings, or other dramatic works are used, featured or otherwise distributed. There are copyright laws that must be followed.
Your Rights as a Filmmaker & Intellectual Property Owner
Did you know that your film is protected by a copyright as soon as you produce it? While you cannot technically sue someone for copyright infringement unless youâve actually applied for the U.S. Copyright protections that are afforded to you as an intellectual property owner.
Your work is still protected by copyright. However, to ensure that you may legally enforce any infringement of copyrighted works? Itâs best that you apply for a copyright as soon as your script has been written.
This way, there is immediate proof of ownership of the story. Any and all characters and characteristics of those characters. And other intellectual property involved in the creation of your motion picture project.
What Happens when a Film is Copyright Protected?
Are you a filmmaker that has applied for a motion picture copyright and youâre wondering what the next steps are? What protections are actually afforded to the filmmaker when a motion picture copyright is granted?
The copyright owner for any motion picture title is afforded many protections that would not otherwise be in place for you if there were not film copyright laws.
According to the Copyright Act, which is amended under Title 17 of the United States Code:
- The copyright owner has the exclusive right to perform the copyrighted work publicly.
- Copyrighted works may not be shown publicly without explicit permission from the copyright owner.
- The use of copyrighted works, including showing copyrighted films publicly for non-curriculum-based purposes is illegal and violates copyright law.
The Takeaway
Film copyright laws provide these legal protections to those who register motion picture copyrights for a period of 70 years after the film is published or otherwise made available to the public.
Additionally, copyright owners have the right to decide how a film is screened, reproduced, distributed, or otherwise shared with the public.
Thus, as a filmmaker that is interested in procuring protection for the intellectual property. And all of the hard work that went into producing a motion picture. Film copyright laws represent some of the most stringent and easy to obtain legal protections available.
