SCREENWRITERS BEWARE!

SCREENWRITERS BEWARE!

Here is a submission policy found on the website of a production company in L.A.
(thank you S. for forwarding this my way)

Unsolicited Submissions

It is company policy not to accept or consider creative ideas, suggestions, or materials. We hope you will understand that it is the intent of this policy to avoid the possibility of any future misunderstandings if your ideas are similar to those we or our affiliates have developed independently. Therefore, we must, regretfully, request that you do not send us any creative materials such as stories, character ideas, treatments, screenplays, books or original artwork ("Unsolicited Submissions"). Any Unsolicited Submissions you do transmit to… Films via email, facsimile, mail or otherwise will be treated as non-confidential and shall be deemed, and shall remain, the property of … Films. Without limitation of the foregoing, ….Films shall exclusively own all now known or hereafter existing rights to the Unsolicited Submissions of every kind and nature, in perpetuity, throughout the universe and shall be entitled to unrestricted use of the Unsolicited Submissions for any purpose whatsoever, commercial or otherwise, without compensation, credit or any other rights to the provider of the Unsolicited Submissions. If applicable law restricts or limits the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, you agree, without limitation of the foregoing, that in no event shall …s Films' liability with respect to the Unsolicited Submissions exceed the minimum amount payable for the writing of equivalent material under the Writers Guild of America Theatrical and/or Television Basic Agreement then in effect. Any controversy or claim arising out of our receipt of Unsolicited Submissions will be settled by arbitration in Los Angeles, California before a single arbitrator appointed by the American Arbitration Association. The prevailing party in any such arbitration has the right to recover its reasonable attorneys' fees and costs from the other party.

Of course, the company robotically states they do not accept unsolicited material! Once again, no operational brain working in there. But they also indicate, that they grant themselves the right to USE THE IDEAS transmitted to them, via email, fax, mail without the author’s permissionl!!!

WHICH IS COMPLETELY ILLEGAL.

Should you come upon this kind of guideline, during your visit to production company website, JUST ASK THEM FURTHER EXPLANATION ON THEIR discrimination, oh sorry! Policy! Before sending anything their way…ALSO CLEARLY STATE IN YOUR EMAIL, that this is completely illegal! ONCE AGAIN, no one can use a COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL WITHOUT THE WRITTEN AND SIGNED CONSENT OF ITS AUTHOR!!!