Protecting your IP

[.Alex]

I'm about to start filming a documentary that could take up to 12 months to complete.

Are there any recommended methods for protecting my intellectual property in the concept of the documentary?

My concern is that someone else gets wind of what I'm doing and approaches my subject and potentially "steals" them from me to make their own documentary.  

If I am going to commit 12 months of my time it would be nice to have some kind of security that would prevent someone else making the same documentary.

Any help or advice you guys could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Just for reference there is only one main subject in the documentary.

 

[galt]

Re: Protecting your IP

Sounds like you need an exclusive contract of some sort with the star. You may end up making them co-producer to have their financial interests align with yours.

 

[wabbit]

Re: Protecting your IP

The subject of a doc having a financial stake in the film is generally a pretty big conflict of interests. You really can't copyright the idea but you can talk to your subject and have him/her refer other producers that come sniffing around to you. These producers would probably end up colaborating with you.

 

[.Alex]

Re: Protecting your IP

Thanks for the input guys, much appreciated.

 

[sojrn]

Our documentary is on one man and his accomplishments, so we asked him to sign a contract giving us 8 exclusive months to get the doc up and running with the exception of him doing things that promoted the project. And we are keeping him in the loop, not as a producer, but as a courtesy. He concurred.