Anybody know anything about copyright and related issues?

[Mike Thorpe]

Got this email:

Hello,

My name's Rob Kerr and I'm currently involved in recruiting short form
programming for BiteTV (www.bitetv.ca), a new interactive network based in
Ontario.

I just watched some of the Team Fishcake shorts for the first time and laughed
my ass off. I'm extremely interested in exploring opportunities for
broadcasting some of the comedy shorts produced by Team Fishcake.

Please let me know if this material is available for TV broadcast.

Thanks,

Rob

I emailed him back, asking what sort of stuff he'd want, and the T&Cs and he said:

Hi Mike,

We're interested in all of the material posted on the website. We can't promise
to use all of it but we'd like to get hold of the beta tapes or mini-dv for
further consideration.

More details regarding broadcast conditions (including the submissions release
form) can be found at:

http://www.bitetv.ca/submit.jsp


Thanks,

Rob

If you have a look at the submission form on their site - i've had a read through it and I don't fully understand it. What I basically need to know is

- Are we going to keep all rights to our material?
- Are there any more questions I need to ask?

Does anybody have experience with this type of thing?

Bear in mind this is a Canadian channel, and I'm in the UK.

[Ian in Northampton]

Best I can make out, you're not transferring copyright at this stage - that may come later at section 4 when you do the deal - all depends on their standard Ts and Cs. At this stage - and I offer this as an entirely unqualified person - I don't think you'd be signing away much that isn't fairly clear from the agreement: the later agreement is likely to contain more difficult stuff. FWIW, it may be worth trying to find out about Canadian copyright law: I submit numerous articles to American magazines, and the position there is generally that you have to explicitly sign over copyright. That becomes a little grey, though, when you try to differentiate between something you've sent on spec/unsolicited, and something they've commissioned from you. I note, though, that the agreement here calls for you to confirm that what you're sending is unsolicited - which appears not to be the case. YMMV etc. and all the standard caveats.

[shiner]

Looks to me an absolutely, straight forward 'for consideration' contract. The next one, hopefully, for broadcast rights, will be the one to have looked at by a lawyer.

GOOD LUCK TEAM FISHCAKE

[Gwenny The Vegie]

Mike! Hire a Lawyer! They Kick ass!

I got a ticket for going 95 in a 55 and the chances of me getting my license suspended were decent, but then when I walked into court with a lawyer, I only got a 200 dollar ticket.


But you should hire a lawyer to look over it all, ask them questions, see if you can get any money of out it, whateva! FISHCAKE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD