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Producers

Lawyers for Independent Film and Television Producers, Indie Film Makers and New Media Production Companies

At Lehmann Strobel PC, we know that independent producers face unique challenges. The entertainment world is changing fast. In ten years, we have gone from commissioning agreements to co-productions to multi-platform deals to 360-degree commissioning. The deal points and the deliverables may change — but at the end of the day your success depends on your passion to create compelling content with professional results.

Lehmann Strobel PC was founded on the belief that independent producers needed an alternative to large, expensive, litigious law firms. We know that you need efficient and effective legal and business affairs advice from lawyers who understand the entertainment industry. For more than a decade, we have worked as production attorneys for independent film, television, radio and multimedia content producers of all kinds. Client list.  

Whether you are optioning story rights, negotiating a commissioning agreement, or licensing a completed program, we can help manage your creative assets to achieve your goals.

Case Studies

Bears: Too Close for Comfort

“Producer Tom Philips contacted us about a program he had produced about the growing bear population in suburban New Jersey. The show was controversial and was receiving lots of press coverage. NJN Public Television, which had originally agreed to air the program, was now getting cold feet. Two of the wildlife experts interviewed in the program did not want the show to air. They claimed that the appearance releases they had signed were inadequate and were threatening to sue if the program was aired. Employees at NJN Public Television were also saying that the appearance releases for the program were flawed and that the station should not air the program for that reason.

"Tom wanted to know if the appearance releases he used — standard for this kind of programming — gave him the right to broadcast the interviews. More importantly, he asked what we could do to both reassure NJN Public Television and protect his ability to seek other broadcast venues for the program. We reviewed the appearance releases and drafted a strongly worded letter to the CEO of NJN Public Television. We addressed the alleged deficiencies in the appearance releases and explained the protections available to NJN Public Television (including the producer’s representations and warranties and E&O insurance coverage). We pointed out that statements by NJN employees about the releases could harm our client’s ability to exploit the program and could expose the station to legal liability.  Our letter was effective. The program was broadcast and has received 12 television industry awards including five Tellys." 

-- Walter G. Lehmann, Managing Partner

Legal and Business Articles

  • The Term of Copyright and the Public Domain It is usually necessary, and generally advisable, to obtain permission to use copyrightable material, unless the material is clearly in the public domain. Determining...
  • Copyright — Is it Better to Own or License? I was recently asked by a producer to review an agreement he had received from the lawyer of an organization he had been working with to prepare a documentary...
  • Cultural Icons Pose Unique Rights Clearance Issues Incorporating pre-existing materials depicting celebrities, landmarks and other readily identifiable cultural objects in a new work can pose unique liability issues beyond the normal...
  • Six Basic FAQs About Copyrights A copyright is a legally protected monopoly giving the owner of the copyright the exclusive right to publish, perform, or display the work, and to create derivative works...
  • Music Synchronization Rights The use of music in film, TV, video and webcast production involves two aspects of copyright law: synchronization rights and performance rights. Performance rights come into play when a...
  • Title and Trademark Clearance It is now common practice for media distributors and insurers to require producers to provide a title and trademark search report and legal opinion in addition to other production deliverables....

Legal Business Forms

 

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