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CHAIN OF TITLE: THE CARE AND FEEDING OF YOUR COPYRIGHT

WHAT IS A CHAIN OF TITLE?

It’s not enough to have a great screenplay. You also have to protect it by safeguarding its copyright. To care for your copyright, you must register it with the U.S. Copyright Office, always display the proper copyright notice on all copies of the script and prints of the film, and maintain a clean chain of title.

The chain of title is the unbroken record of ownership of the copyright and other legal rights to the film property. You will need to prove the film’s chain of title to distributors, financiers, unions, insurers, and a variety of other parties during the course of the life of a film.

The following are key components in establishing and maintaining a clean ...

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