Intellectual Property and Contracts

A film has multiple layers of copyright: the screenplay (literary work), the recorded images (audiovisual work), the music score (musical work), and the sound recording (sound recording). The production company should own or license all layers. Register your completed film with the U.S. Copyright Office ($65 online) to establish a public record and enable statutory damages in infringement suits (up to $150,000 per willful infringement). Registration takes 3-6 months but is effective from the filing date. Also register your screenplay before sharing it widely—the WGA registration ($20 for non-members) provides additional evidence of authorship but is not a substitute for Copyright Office registration.