Asked and Answered: Idea Theft and Submission Releases/Waivers.
Q: Can a writer give a waiver not to sue to a producer to steal their property, since theft is a crime and would be prosecuted in the criminal courts? Is their any civil remedy to the writer for theft?
A: Yes, a writer CAN sign a waiver promising not to sue a producer who misappropriates the writer's property. In fact, unless the writer is represented by an agent (or sometimes an attorney) many producers won't even consider looking at a pitch, treatment, script or whatever, without such a document, usually called a “release”.
These releases are typically very broad, with the writer acknowledging that the producer may have similar or identical material already Continue Reading