Questions tagged [legal]
For questions regarding legal issues associated with movie making with the exception of copyright issues, for which we have a separate tag [copyright].
36
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Do I need permission to write a movie script about a person?
I want to write a movie script about a person with the intention of making a movie.
Almost all the information I have about him is from a book he wrote and published.
Do I need his permission, legally,...
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2
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Can they make a digital copy of Lance Reddick for the "Continental" TV series?
Lance Reddick has died, but they plan to make a TV show about The Continental. Is it possible to "revive" dead actors through some digital technology? Is this primarily a legal question - ...
- 295
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0
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Is there any legal procedure to go through when a movie makes reference to real world coporations?
In the movie, M3gan, they made a direct reference to Apple app store and Google play store at the bottom right corner of the screenshot.
Can they do this?
The reason I am asking is: when it comes to a ...
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9
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1
answer
3k
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Why is the video game footage "re-created" (badly) in the AVGN movie?
In Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie, there are some segments where old NES video game footage is shown.
However, unlike in the episodes in the YouTube video series, they for some reason have not used ...
- 537
8
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1
answer
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Do actors get paid if their digital image is used in a movie?
These day we more often see actors in their younger ages.
Do they get paid for that or can companies just model whatever they want with no need to pay to the model's prototype?
- 1,193
5
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1
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Why do so many movie advertisements mention "Only in Theaters"?
I've noticed that advertisements for films and film-related merchandise in the USA that relate to films that are in theaters will almost always include the phrase "Only in Theaters" somewhere, often ...
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6
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2
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488
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Reason for the uncommon German license plates in "Hanna"
Being German myself, I've noticed that the German license plates in Hanna have quite a strange format, it's something like
B-123-ABC
whereas the common format is
B-AB 1234
Where the first part (...
- 163
8
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1
answer
1k
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Are TV Producers and Youtubers allowed to use Hidden Cameras without consent?
In a video form the Phillip DeFranco Show "Shane Dawson Hidden Camera Concern, Rod Rosenstein Confusion, Telltale Games Shutdown, & More..." (24 Sep 2018) Phillip DeFranco talks about concerns ...
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7
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0
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173
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How do low-budget films go about movie ratings when they want to distribute globally?
Imagine a low-budget production that will be running on multiple festivals and cinemas around the world. After the theatrical tour they'll start home distribution through DVD/BD, VOD and SVOD (like ...
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1
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Is it legal to show kids reaching orgasm with clothes on?
In Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013), a little girl is shown having an orgasm while flying in the sky with clothes on. The narration says that the girl is having an orgasm.
In Babel, a kid is shown ...
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3
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1
answer
509
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Was Rachel Zane talking about a poison pill?
Asked question on Money SE about conversation in Suits S04E04:
You do that, it triggers a stock split.
His shares double in voting power.
Yours don't.
My question:
I never really got that. ...
- 1,519
4
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Did American Pie have to license the name from Don McLean?
Did American Pie have to license the name from Don McLean in order to call the movie American Pie, since the title was taken directly from the song?
- 319
10
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1
answer
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Were there any legal issues due to McDonald's references?
In The Wolf of Wall Street 2013, we see many references to "Working at McDonald's" all throughout the film:
My question here is: Were there any legal issues due to apparently looking down upon this ...
- 3,517
1
vote
0
answers
80
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The false claim that resemblance to real people is accidental [duplicate]
Someone recently asked about the false claim that a movie was based on a true story. I often wonder about the opposite claim: Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental. ...
- 1,652
50
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2
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Why is there a disclaimer about not accepting money from tobacco companies at the end of movies?
Maybe the answer is obvious, but still:
I just finished watching Movie Gravity, and at the end of the movie, I saw this disclaimer:
No person or entity associated with this film received payment ...
- 1,017
5
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2
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Are trailers copyrighted or not?
Are trailers copyrighted? Is it allowable to freely use a movie trailer in one's own works or website?
Here is a screenshot of an example where they had given the name of the publisher and an amazon....
2
votes
1
answer
192
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When can companies (or other entities) be directly referenced?
In a recent episode of a TV show, real tech companies (Uber, Google, etc.) were mentioned as having done a very bad thing. Although based on past events, the specific thing was a work of fiction. This ...
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1
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2
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337
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Why MPAA warning also present in 80s movies?
The following notice is usually present in movies:
This motion picture is protected under the laws of the United States
and other countries. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or
...
- 61
5
votes
1
answer
1k
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What happened to the lawsuit over Django Unchained?
There seems to have been a lot of talk about script writers suing Quentin Tarantino over the movie idea of Django Unchained. Does anybody know what happened to that lawsuit? Was it settled or did the ...
- 153
1
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1
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Were the Jokers (Impractical Jokers) fined for tearing money?
In one episode of Impractical Jokers where it is Q's turn, he (Q) goes to sit in a carriage and after some conversation with other people sitting there,he borrows a Dollar and rips it and throws it ...
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1
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0
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155
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Exposing Alcohol in films to kids or teens
Are you allowed to show kids or teens drinking alcoholic drinks in short films? Or is it against the law in the UK?
- 19
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1
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2k
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Fiction disclaimers on Non-Fiction movies
It's Memorial Day Weekend in the US, so I was watching one of my favorite Memorial Day movies; Hamburger Hill (1987). This movie is based on events surrounding the taking of Hill 937 in Vietnam. The ...
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12
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2
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How is Return to the Blue Lagoon legal if Milla Jovovich was 15 when it was shot?
In the movie, we see Milla Jovovich topless many times. But when the film was shot, she was 15 and therefore underage.
Did this not break the law back when it was made and if not, surely it does now?...
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9
votes
1
answer
387
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What would happen if a show would remove its disclaimer?
What would happen if shows like South Park would remove their introductory disclaimer like message like 'all celebrities are impersonated...poorly'etc. before the show stars. What could happen to them ...
- 291
5
votes
1
answer
166
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Is there any way in which to use cross-over characters from other TV series?
I am writing a pilot for a TV Series, and wondered if it may be legally possible to write in a character from another (relative) series?
This isn't it, but for example:
If I was to write about an ...
4
votes
0
answers
214
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Are there union rules requiring stunt performers, and what does this mean for action stars who "do their own stunts"?
In an answer to this question, it is mentioned offhand:
There are almost no "live shots" of this as it is technically a stunt and according to union rules ( at least in Hollywood) that requires a ...
- 291
1
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1
answer
164
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What legal measures do real persons/families/groups have to impose "prior restraint" on aspects of a film?
Can persons or families of deceased persons use legal methods to impose "prior restraint" on aspects of a planned film about them they don't like, such as JFK, or Kurt Cobain? And what if the matters ...
- 281
6
votes
2
answers
8k
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Legal implications of shooting a movie along a public sidewalk with dozens of people
In a lot of movies and TV shows, there will be a scene where an actor will be walking along a busy sidewalk, and there will be dozens of people behind them, and perhaps even one or two people coming ...
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Can using fake names or pseudonyms in the credits really protect you from legal troubles?
I've seen this happen a few times but the one with the most notoriety is the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet". That's the episode where they basically make fun of Scientology.
Both because ...
- 707
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1
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Why were kids allowed to act in the movie Caligula (1979)?
Why were kids allowed to act in the movie Caligula (1979)? To me it seems that the movie is a purely adult movie with sexual activity through the movie. Also, there's a scene where a topless woman ...
- 1,091
4
votes
1
answer
16k
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Legalities of shows recording crime?
I'm not quite sure how to form this question, but basically I've watched a lot of shows that record crimes happening. These are usually the series about narcotics, violence, etc. The shows film crimes ...
- 13.1k
26
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5
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How long must a Hollywood film wait to use the same title of an older film?
I just stumbled on the new film Bound (2015) and remembered that there was an older film by the Wachowskis also called Bound released in 1996.
I am sure this varies from country to country - but in ...
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21
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4
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6k
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Why do film studios buy domains of fictitious companies?
A few moments ago I saw an episode of 'The Blacklist' and recognized a sign with the address of an fictitious estate agent. My curiosity was to check the domain in the web browser. It seems that the ...
- 409
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How are fake reality shows not false advertising? And if they are, why do they get away with it?
Wikipedia defines Reality Television as:
"Reality television is a genre of television programming that
documents unscripted situations and actual occurrences, and often
features a previously ...
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2
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Why is it Okay for movies / TV shows, to show that their story is based on real events when it is actually not?
I just finished watching the TV show Fargo.
Each episode begins with the lines that this is based on real events.
When I looked for it on Wikipedia, it said
However, this claim is completely ...
- 22.3k
2
votes
1
answer
270
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Are there any rules regarding the usage of a medical condition in movies?
In some movies, sometimes medical conditions are shown inaccurately. For example, in Ghajini (2008 film), anterograde amnesia is shown wrongly. The main protagonist has anterograde amnesia, but he ...
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