Creating and Selling Films & Printed Documents: The Challenge of the Joint Authorship and First Sale Doctrines

The joint creation of intellectual property can arise in many forms, and legal issues may arise concerning joint authorship. The selling of intellectual property can also take different forms, which may invoke Copyright laws\u27 first sale doctrine or licensing. This article takes a critical look at the copyright provisions governing joint authorship and first sales of work, in particular the influence of these doctrines on film and the printed word. Joint film products begin with idea treatments and screenplays that may be co-written with two or more authors, and include directors who oversee the making of the entire film, and actors who make the screenwriters\u27 words come alive. The First Sale Doctrine affects the film industry and the printed word by placing limits on the ability of intellectual property-related industries to control the distribution of their output