SCRIPT CLEARANCE REPORTS
What is a Script Clearance Report?
Script clearance research involves reading and breaking down a script and identifying all items that represent possible legal conflicts if used as is. This includes character names, business names, product names, organization names, locations, artwork, music, and other copyright or trademark protected material.
Clearance researchers produce a report that an experienced entertainment lawyer will use to determine if particular details found in a script may pose legal problems.
Script research and script clearance workers must be very detail oriented and very organized. Filmmakers can be picky about the research they want, and typically they want the information right away.
Clearing the content of a script before beginning to shoot is highly recommended, since some elements can’t be changed once the film is finished. Failing to complete the necessary clearances could result in having to redo elements, leading at minimum to expensive editing costs or even worse, the inability to screen or distribute the film at all.
There are usually a lot of details and facts that need to be checked, which means using a wide variety of databases and resources. Making many phone calls and creative problem solving to obtain information are also important parts of the job.
The Research House will identify all elements in a script that may expose a production to legal disputes.
These items include:
- Character names,
- Business names,
- Locations,
- Product names,
- Schools,
- Organizations,
- Defamatory references and racial slurs,
- Use of protected material in the form of copyrights or trademarks.
Additionally, the report includes information on:
- Photographs,
- Artwork,
- Books,
- Music,
- Film clips,
- Dialogue,
- Props,
- Identifiable personalities and much more.
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