Power Of Attorney - Giving Distributors Power To Protect Your Rights
Posted on February 16th, 2012 in Film | Comments Off
Ever seen a foreign movie in your homeland? Or have you ever listened to a tune in another language? Odds are that you have, wherever on earth you may be or what constitutes foreign and local films for you. You get to see movies and television shows that are not produced in your country because their producers have entered into a distribution agreement with studios in your state. That is what happens when an owner wants to sell his products in another market.
If you want to sell a product, you can do it yourself or sign a distribution agreement with a supplier. The problem with doing it yourself is there are times when you don’t have the power to do so. Say you made an independent film, maybe you can release it in your country independently, without the help of a major studio, but you would need a studio’s aid to release it in another country. And in this kind of agreement in this given situation, giving power of attorney rights to the distributor is often called for.
With a power of attorney (POA), you are allowing the foreign film studio of your movie to act on your behalf. The receiver of the POA, who is the distributor, doesn’t necessarily mean they are an attorney. It just means that they don’t have to check with you first for permission if they need to do whatsoever is in your best interest. It would help a lot to bestow them a POA, though it is not necessary of you to do so. However, with the authorization, the distributor can protect your rights even if you aren’t in the same place.
Just imagine if someone else profits from your movie by making copies and selling them at a lesser price. You and your distributor would lose revenue. And in the first place, you wouldn’t know that you are missing out simply because you are not there. A POA can make it easier for the distributor sue the third party for unauthorized release and distribution of your movie, which would prevent them from cashing in from your work.
The same is true for any other items you may wish to sell. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a film, television show, or music. You could be selling any tangible item like furniture or food, and the same rights would still apply, though there would just be slight modifications. You can also adjust the POA to include just what you deem necessary, like the right to sue a third party for pirating your product.