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⚖️ CASE STUDY: HOW A FILMMAKER DEFEATED A MAJOR STUDIO WITH A CONTINGENCY LAWYER

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🎬 “They Stole My Script — Then Made a Movie Out of It.”

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In 2022, a first-time filmmaker submitted a protected screenplay package to a mid-level production company. The pitch was:

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• Fully registered with the US Copyright Office & WGA

• Under NDA

• Packaged with a visual deck and attached talent

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Eight months later, that same company released a streaming feature with:

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• The same character names

• A nearly identical plot structure

• Similar dialogue beats

• Key visual elements from the pitch deck

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The filmmaker’s emails, pitch documents, and access logs made it clear:

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This wasn’t a coincidence. This was IP theft.

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🛡️ WHAT HAPPENED NEXT: CONTINGENCY LITIGATION

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The filmmaker didn’t have millions to hire a top-tier firm. But they did have proof — and that’s all it took.

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They retained a nationally recognized entertainment law firm on a contingency basis, meaning:

• $0 upfront fees

• No hourly billing

• Legal costs recovered only if they won or settled

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Within 60 days, a formal claim was filed.

Within 6 months, the case settled confidentially for seven figures.

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💼 HOW THEY WON — WITHOUT PAYING A DIME UPFRONT

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The keys to success:

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• Timestamped proof of authorship (USCO, WGA, email + cloud audit logs)

• Legally binding NDA with access trail

• Detailed comparison of stolen vs. original content

• A contingency firm with IP litigation experience and a record of winning creative theft cases

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Because the legal infrastructure was baked into the original pitch, the case didn’t just allege theft — it proved it.

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✅ THE TAKEAWAY FOR CREATORS & COMPANIES

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You don’t need to be rich to be legally protected.

You need to be:

• Structured

• Documented

• Represented

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Contingency law firms don’t take every case.
They only take winnable cases with enforceable protections.

That’s why our film packages are built to hold up in court — and why contingency litigators back us.

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🔐 WANT THIS LEVEL OF PROTECTION?

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Our infrastructure ensures:

• Enforceable NDAs

• Audit-trail view access

• Registered IP with full authorship logs

• Contributor contracts + chain of title

• Contingency-ready legal setup

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✅ Film IP Legal Readiness Checklist

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From Trailer Concept to Fully Packaged Film – Aligned with Contingency Counsel

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Purpose:
To show that each project—starting from trailer prototype to full film package—is developed under a litigation-aware, IP-protected workflow, with early legal oversight in place before external disclosure.

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🎬 PHASE 1: TRAILER PACKAGE – LEGAL PREPARATION

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🔒 1. Legal Engagement from Day One

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• ☑️ Signed NDA with contingency lawyer

• ☑️ Initial call held with counsel to outline goals and legal response strategy

• ☑️ Chain-of-title spreadsheet created and reviewed

• ☑️ Dedicated legal folder structure established in Google Drive/Dropbox

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🧾 2. Time-Stamped Creative Authorship

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• ☑️ All screenplay drafts, outlines, and treatments logged by date

• ☑️ Prompts (if AI used) documented with seed numbers + generation timestamps

• ☑️ All creative files saved with metadata intact (EXIF, file history, etc.)

• ☑️ OpenTimestamps/WIPO Proof hash files created for earliest versions

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🧠 3. AI Attribution & Legal Clarity

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• ☑️ Clear separation of human-authored vs. AI-generated assets

• ☑️ AI inputs/outputs logged in attribution tracker

• ☑️ Disclaimers pre-written for copyright registration purposes

• ☑️ No AI used in final screenwriting or dialogue (unless legally cleared)

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🎞️ 4. Trailer Creation + Metadata Export

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• ☑️ Voiceover scripts drafted, dated, and registered

• ☑️ Trailer edited with traceable software (CapCut, RunwayML, etc.)

• ☑️ Final MP4 exports saved with metadata snapshot

• ☑️ Versioned file history (e.g., V1, V2, Final) stored with timestamps

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📜 5. Formal IP Registration

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• ☑️ WGA West registration for each script or treatment

• ☑️ USCO registration for visual assets and full trailers (Motion Picture category)

• ☑️ Visual art (poster, character design) registered if original

• ☑️ Registrations sent to legal counsel for archival

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📁 6. Trailer IP Proof Bundle (per Project)

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• ☑️ Title Page + Visual Log

• ☑️ Drafts & VO Scripts

• ☑️ Prompt & Metadata Logs

• ☑️ All registrations + certificate copies

• ☑️ IP Ownership Declaration (lawyer-prepared if needed)

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🎥 PHASE 2: FULL FILM PACKAGE – LEGAL & BUSINESS EXPANSION

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✍️ 7. Screenplay Finalization

• ☑️ Treatments expanded into feature-length scripts or beat sheets

• ☑️ Revision logs maintained (dates, tools used, authorship tracked)

• ☑️ Final script registered with USCO and WGAW

• ☑️ Counsel confirms full legal authorship and ownership on record

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🎨 8. Investor-Ready Visual Deck

• ☑️ Concept art, tone boards, and look-books created

• ☑️ Title/logo design locked and optionally trademarked

• ☑️ Deck watermarked + legal disclaimer page included

• ☑️ Lawyer-reviewed for “legal pitch readiness”

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🧾 9. Entity Formation & IP Assignment

• ☑️ LLC created for IP ownership

• ☑️ All IP formally assigned to LLC (lawyer-drafted document)

• ☑️ Trademark filing for project name(s) and/or brand identity

• ☑️ Optional IP insurance quotes obtained for investor-readiness

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🤝 10. Pitch Disclosure & Legal Guardrails

• ☑️ Pitch target list tracked in versioned sheet

• ☑️ NDA templates prepared for use in sensitive pitches

• ☑️ Counsel informed of every major disclosure (DocSend links or pitch emails)

• ☑️ Cease & Desist + IP Reminder templates pre-written by counsel

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🛡️ 11. Misuse Preparedness Protocol

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• ☑️ Legal thresholds defined (evidence of access, substantial similarity, timeline)

• ☑️ IP Watch set up to monitor for related releases or derivative content

• ☑️ Legal “trigger memo” stored with counsel in case of misappropriation

• ☑️ Lawyer ready to act on contingency for litigation or arbitration

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📦 FINAL DELIVERABLE: MASTER IP LEGAL BINDER

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Each project includes a fully documented legal folder with:

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• ✅ Chain of Title Table

• ✅ Time-stamped Proof of Authorship

• ✅ WGA & Copyright Registrations

• ✅ Metadata Logs & AI Attribution

• ✅ Legal Disclaimers & Ownership Declarations

• ✅ Pitch Tracking Sheet

• ✅ Legal Response Templates

• ✅ Optional IP Assignment & Insurance Docs

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📈 OUTCOME:

Every asset is audit-ready, litigation-prepared, and pitch-protected from day one, giving your legal counsel the full toolkit to respond to breach or theft without delay — and showing buyers/investors that you treat your IP like a studio.

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Whether you're a writer, director, producer, or investor — you don’t need to be powerless.

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If they steal it, we can sue. If we sue, we can win.

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📬 Ready to Protect Your Project?

📩 Email us at: [investinmovietrailer@ktsbvp.com]
🔐 Or [Request NDA + Access Portal]

Let them make a mistake.
We’ll be ready when they do.