Manager, Script Clearance ID-1684

The Script Clearance Department is a division of the Intellectual Property Department within the SPE Legal Department. The Department identifies and resolves all legal script clearance issues for SPE’s film, television and virtual reality productions as mandated by the company’s E&O insurance policy and to prevent legal claims and litigation.

The Script Clearance Manager (“Manager”) independently manages multiple television, film and virtual reality projects from pre-production through release to identify, address and resolve all intellectual property issues, including but not limited to issues of copyright, trademark, defamation, right of publicity, right of privacy and product use. The Manager will also directly supervise two Clearance Analysts and a Script Clearance Coordinator. The Manager will support the Director and the Vice President in managing the Script Clearance team. The Manager will be expected to provide perspective on the resolution of difficult issues, mentor more junior members of the department and represent the department to high level studio executives. In addition, the Manager will be asked to help set department policy and aid in the structural growth of the department.

Responsibilities:

• Day to day management of all clearance activities across multiple TV and Film productions

• Oversight of three employees’ workloads and professional development.

• Customarily and regularly exercise discretion and independent judgment in preparing a script clearance reports, identifying and assessing key legal issues associated with story points, character and business name research, and approving prop/set dressing items created by production art departments – all of which are significant and essential to the creation and distribution of SPE’s content.

• Effectively and independently communicate with high level production and studio executives regarding difficult issues that have arisen on a production.

• Assess the legal risks on character names, business names, props, set dressing, and wardrobe items.

• Identify legal risks associated with on-set items such as prop, set dressing and wardrobe. Direct crew members on how such risks should be addressed.

• Research potential defamation, privacy, false association and right of publicity claims associated with a project and present such issues to the VP and EVP of the Intellectual Property Department.

• Understanding of key legal agreements and deal terms, including license agreements, rights agreements, and releases. Negotiate key legal agreements. Oversee drafting of such agreements by a Coordinator. Address high level comments from opposing counsel. Consults with studio attorneys when necessary.

• Knowledgeable of advanced legal principles related to projects based on true stories. Communicates with studio attorneys, outside counsel, studio executives, producers, and writers to identify legal problems and suggest and implement solutions.

• Manage relationship with post-production, publicity and marketing and other parts of the studio as it relates to clearance issues on the project.

• Aid in fact discovery in the event of a claim.

• Supervises directs reports workload and development.

• Makes suggestions and recommendations as to the hiring, advancement, promotion, or corrective performance plans of department personnel.