Protecting Your Rights with a Screenwriting Collaboration Agreement

Screenwriters are often so caught up in the different processes and steps that they’re taking toward maximizing their efficiencies to get their screenplay finished, they can forget the importance of contracts to protect their rights in an otherwise dangerous and highly competitive industry. But writing a screenplay is hard work, and there’s a good chance that you’ll work with another screenwriter at some point during the process which means you’re going to have to take steps to protect your rights. In fact, protecting your rights with a screenwriting collaboration agreement is absolutely vital, particularly if you work with one or more additional screenwriters on the project. 

If you’ve not heard the dreaded horror stories in the past from other screenwriters that forgot to protect their rights, you’re lucky! While the risk of someone stealing your screenplay is slim to none. And will almost certainly not happen.

The risk of a lawsuit over something like a disagreement in the sale price, the terms of an option negotiation. Or some other aspect of the collaboration between you and the other writers of your screenplay can and very likely will occur.

That is, if you don’t have all of these details and terms already covered in your collaboration agreement.

The Importance

This is why it’s so important for screenwriters to make sure that they’ve established a screenwriting collaboration agreement that works best for themselves and for their screenwriting partners.

In the sue-happy environment we all live in, and especially when there are hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars at stake. Protecting your rights with a screenwriting collaboration agreement is a must.

What’s Included in the Collaboration Agreement?

The screenwriting collaboration agreement represents the legal agreement. Between you and any other screenwriters that are involved in writing any portion of the screenplay that you’re working on.

Whether a collaborator writes just a few lines of dialogue or they write half the screenplay. The screenwriting collaboration agreement should have each collaborator included.

This agreement must include the following details:

• Title of the project.
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• Names of all collaborators involved. 
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• Percentage ownership each collaborator has in the screenplay.
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• Details on withdrawing from the agreement.
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• Details on what work each collaborator will provide.
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• Information about the sale price of the screenplay and who makes final decisions.
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• Details on credits and who will be mentioned.
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• Information on who will cover expenses or how they will be shared among the group.
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• Who has the rights to the work including motion picture rights, television film rights, stage rights and other.
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• What happens if any writer wants to use the work for ancillary purposes.
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• A signature from all collaborators involved.

In Summary

Entering a screenwriting collaboration agreement is an important step toward protecting your rights. In an industry that is otherwise incredibly competitive and highly litigation-happy.

Thus, before you start writing a screenplay, or working on any screenwriting that is in conjunction with other members of a group. You must all enter a screenwriting collaboration agreement to protect yourself, your rights, and your work.