local news footage license term

Abu Reno

Abu Reno

Well-known member
Hi everyone. I'm currently writing a story that will start production January 08. This is a true story that has been covered by 3 local stations. I have just completed the first trailor using their footage. My question is I've contacted one of the local news channel about licensing. I was asked how long do you want the term to be? I'm so confused. How do I know? How could there be a term if it's in a movie? I would love to post the trailor to get some feedback, but not until all the legal issues have been resolved. Thanks in advance!
 
I'm no expert in this, but if you are actually going to use their footage in your movie I would try and get a lifetime license. Anything less and you will probably be hard pressed to find a distributor.
 
Is this anything like movie rights? For example, you pay to gain rights to a story for a length of time, and have that amount of time to use it or lose the rights at the end? At which time the owner of said property can sell the rights to someone else?
 
Capt Quirk said:
Is this anything like movie rights? For example, you pay to gain rights to a story for a length of time, and have that amount of time to use it or lose the rights at the end? At which time the owner of said property can sell the rights to someone else?
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Not the way I understand it. Basically they would choose a term of say five years. In that five-year period you can produce and distribute your project with that footage. After five years, should the project still be viable you would have to re-negotiate new rights, which could be substantially higher. It would be best to get lifetime rights to avoid that. What you (Capt Quirk) seem to be referencing would be exclusivity, which is not what I understand the original poster to be looking for.
 
Thanks Cryogenic , I am going to email them today and hopefully wrap this up soon. Fox 2 News is giving me a hard time. Channel 4 and 7 have been cool with everything. Oh, did I mention that Fox 2 wants $500 a minute to use their footage? I hope they agree to a lifetime agreement. If not, I'll just use it for the trailor then toss it.
 
Ok, so I sent the email and got a response. I can only use the footage for 10 years! I guess I'll just use it for the trailor. Since I'm not using their footage in the movie, would I still need to license it for the trailor?
 
Abu Reno said:
Ok, so I sent the email and got a response. I can only use the footage for 10 years! I guess I'll just use it for the trailor. Since I'm not using their footage in the movie, would I still need to license it for the trailor?
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Yea you would still have to license for trailer. The options I can think of are this. If the fee is not too much, license it for the 10 year period. If you get a distributer to push it, the life of the project may be less than 10 years or if it hits, the distributer might be willing to re-negotiate for another term after the 10 are up, or you might cut it, or re-enact it.

Or.. Just re-enact the footage as close as you can get it and bypass them.
 
get a copyright lawyer. the station has one, and you don't want them to have your house.
 
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