Legal Question in Entertainment Law in California
I wrote the first 55 pages of a script adapted from a draft document of a novel written by a friend. Initially we saw the project as a 50-50 collaboration with me writing the entire screenplay based on her story. We did not sign any written agreement. I restructured the plot setup considerably and added many new elements, story devices as well as action and dialogue. When I emailed her the 55 pages she loved it and got excited and decided to finish the script herself. She made some changes to some of what I wrote and finished the screenplay, then copyrighted the resulting 110-page version in her name without my permission. The copy she sent me credits me on the title page. She wants to sign an agreement giving me 30% of the rights but no control. (BTW I don't agree with the way she ends the story.) Is this an acceptable arrangement? Do I have any recourse? What are my rights? Many thanks in advance.
1 Answer from Attorneys
This is kind of a complex area but, if you both worked on the script, you jointly own the copyright. So, you can negotiate whatever kind of deal you can work out with the other writer.
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