Protecting Your IP and Securing Your Position

Masterclass

This session will discuss the potential legal issues with including real-life people in your work, covering defamation, privacy and the use of life story releases. We will also cover the basics of intellectual property rights before finishing with the issues surrounding using other people’s intellectual property and how to protect your own, detailing some common pitfalls and myths along the way. We will also briefly touch on the impact of AI on the industry.

The session will cover:

• Defamation and basing projects on real-life people
  • Defamation
  • Use of “life releases”
• Intellectual property rights
  • Introduction to intellectual property rights
  • Using other people’s intellectual property (including a brief rundown on AI position)
  • Protecting your own intellectual property

This session is best suited for producers and directors of varying levels of seniority who are interested in creating their own shows.

About the speaker:

Clare McGarry is a Managing Associate at Harbottle & Lewis who specialises in film, TV and theatre law. Clare advises on a broad range of commercial and IP matters across the film, TV and theatre industries, including the development, production, financing and distribution of film, TV and theatre projects and the acquisition, protection and exploitation of rights/IP and content. Clare works with clients of all sizes and types within the film, TV and theatre sectors, from individual producers, talent and small independent production companies, to major SVODs, high-profile production companies, studios, and content financiers. Clare also specialises in advising rightsholders who wish to protect and exploit their IP and rights, working across all genres of film and television, including scripted, unscripted and animation. Clare presents at numerous industry events, including BAFTA Elevate and Indielab.