The Writer Got Screwed - A Guide to the Legal and Business Practices of Writing for the Entertainment Industry

Jul 31, 2026

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A practical guide to the legal and business realities faced by writers in the entertainment industry, with a strong focus on protecting ideas and written work through copyright, registration, and rights management. It explains risks around defamation, privacy, and the right of publicity, and clarifies how release forms can reduce exposure. The book also demystifies contracts, including enforceability and writing requirements, and outlines how writers engage with representation, especially agents and their contracts, obligations, and evaluation criteria.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages292

Reading Time7 h 30 min

AccessFree to download

Section 1: Protecting Ideas, Your Written Work, and Yourself

1: Why Do My Ideas Always End Up in Someone Else's Script?

2: How Can I Write Nasty Things About People I Know and Not Get Sued?

3: If Someone Writes an Agreement on a Cocktail Napkin, and I Sign It, Do We Have a Contract?

4: Congratulations, You're a Member of the WGA

Section 2: Representation: Agents, Lawyers, and Managers

5: Agents: What Do They Mean When They Say That They Are Looking for Someone with Passion?

The WriterGot ScrewedA Guide to the Legal and Business Practicesof Writing for the Entertainment Industry“A wonderful book.….mandatory reading for anyonecontemplating a career in Hollywood.” (but didn’t have to) J.F.Lawton,screenwriter forPretty Woman and Under Siege B R00KE A.WHA RTON THE WRITER GOT SCREWED(but didn't have to) Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2012 http://archive.org/details/writergotscrewed00broo THE WRITERGOT SCREWED(but didn't have to) A GUIDE TO THE LEGAL AND # BUSINESS PRACTICES OF WRITING FORTHE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY Brooke A.Wharton 台HarperPerennial A hardcover edition of this book was published in 1996 by HarperCollins Publishers,Inc. THE WRITER GOT SCREWED(BUT DIDN’T HAVE TO).Copyright ◎1996 by Brooke A.Wharton.All rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.No part ofthis book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without writtenpermission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles andreviews.For information,address HarperCollins Publishers,Inc.,10 East 53rdStreet,New York,NY 10022. HarperCollins books may be purchased for educational,business,or sales promo-tional use.For information please write:Special Markets Department,HarperCollins Publishers,Inc.,10 East 53rd Street,New York,NY 10022. First HarperPerennial Edition published 1997. Designed by Nancy Singer The Library of Congress has catalogued the hardcover edition as follows: Wharton,Brooke,1962- The writer got screwed (but didn't have to):a guide to the legal and businesspractices of writing for the entertainment industry /Brooke A.Wharton. p.cm. ISBN 0-06-270130-4 1.Motion picture industry—Law and legislation—United States. 2.Screenwriters—Legal status,laws,etc.—United States.3.Authors andpublishers—United States.I.Title. KF4302.W48 1996 384'.83'0973—dc2095-47499 To My Mother Edith Wharton—An Artist in Her Own Right ontents AcknowledgmentsIntroduction # SECTION 1:PROTECTING IDEAS,YOUR WRITTENWORK,AND YOURSELF 1:Why Do My Ideas Always End Up in SomeoneElse's Script? ·What Is Copyright and What Does It Have to Do with My Work? ·What Kind of Work Is Eligible for Copyright Protection?·WhatWorks Are Not Eligible for Copyright Protection?·What RightsDoes Copyright Give You?·How Do IObtain Copyright on MyWork?·Do I Need to Put a Copyright Symbol on My Work?·Why Register My Work with the Copyright Office if I Already HaveCopyright in It?·How Do I Register with the Copyright Office? ·How Long Does Copyright Last?·Separation of Rights:If I SellMy Work,Haven’t I Given All of My Rights Away?·Work YouCan Legally Steal:Work in the Public Domain(or What HappensWhen Copyright Protection Ends)·Registering Your Work with theWriters Guild of America(WGA)·Despite Everything,Concepts,Stories,and Ideas Are Still “Stolen”Every Day by Well-known Peoplein Legitimate Situations·Release Forms:What Do They Do andWhat Do They Mean?·Sample:Typical Release Form 2:How Can I Write Nasty Things About People I Knowand Not Get Sued? ·What About the Freedom of Speech?·What Is Libel and HowDo You Avoid It?·Invasion of Privacy·The Right of Publicity ·How Can I Avoid Being Sued?·What if I Can't Get the Rights ora Release Form?·Will a Studio Really Care if I Say ControversialThings About Living People?·Sample:Annotations,Release Form: xi1 5 7 3:If Someone Writes an Agreement on a Cocktail Napkin,and I Sign It,Do We Have a Contract? ·Why Are Most People Intimidated by Contracts?·What Is aContract?·Do AllContracts Have to Be in Writing to Be Enforceable?·Are There Any Contracts That Must Be in Writing toBe Enforceable?·If a Contract of Agreement Does Not Have to Bein Writing to Be Valid,How Do I Know if I Have One?·Do I Needa Lawyer to Write a Contract for Me?·Sample:Writer's Deal Memo 4:Congratulations,You're a Member of the WGA ·What Is the Writers Guild of America?·What Does the WGADo?·What Does the WGA Not Do?·How Does One Becomea Me

FAQs

How does copyright protection apply to ideas and written work for entertainment writers?

The guide explains what eligible work qualifies for copyright protection, what does not, what rights copyright grants, and how to obtain and register copyright. It also addresses how long copyright lasts and the separation of rights after selling work.

What legal risks arise when writing about real people, and how can a writer reduce exposure?

It covers libel, invasion of privacy, and the right of publicity, along with practical steps to avoid being sued. It also discusses what to do when rights or release forms cannot be obtained, and includes sample release-form material.

What should writers understand about contracts and representation before signing deals?

The book outlines what a contract is, enforceability requirements (including when contracts must be in writing), and whether a lawyer is needed to draft agreements. It then explains agents, how writers find them, how agents evaluate marketability, and what questions to consider before signing an agency agreement.

Jul 31, 2026

Upload by Ophelia