As an attorney with Franklin, Weinrib, Rudell & Vassallo in New York City, Steven C. Beer focuses on areas of media and entertainment such as film licenses and copyrights. An area in which Steven C. Beer has extensive knowledge is in foreign distribution, where film producers often create significant commercial revenue streams through strategically navigating international licenses.
In addition to securing a reliable and effective foreign sales agent, film producers must negotiate sales agency agreements. These authorize the agent to work exclusively within designated foreign territories and arrange licenses.
One major aspect of these agreements to consider is the length of the term, with a brief initial two-year period often agreed upon. This provides the agent with time to achieve revenue milestones that allow the agreement to be extended. With the film’s value decreasing significantly over the two year period beginning at its release, this also helps ensure that all possible avenues are explored in maximizing the value of the asset.
