he market for unscripted podcasts –from true crime, to sex and relationships, to sports and pop culture – is exploding. With top podcasts bringing in five figures in revenue per episode and opening the door to multiple ancillary opportunities including merchandise and live touring, what do podcast producers need to know to protect themselves and their commercial opportunities? Here are three quick recommendations:
- Secure Releases: It is best practice to obtain signed release agreements from everyone who appears on your podcast prior to them appearing or making a creative contribution. Whereas in the past it might have been possible for part-time podcasters to take a looser approach to securing signed paperwork, the podcast business is now becoming more sophisticated, and buyers are becoming more rigorous and demanding. Distributors, advertisers and financiers will begin requiring standard releases in the same way that Netflix or HBO requires releases when acquiring a documentary film. Releases will also be required in order for you to obtain errors and omissions insurance, which will help insulate you from legal liability in the event that a claim is filed against your podcast. And even if a third party does not require releases, obtaining releases upfront will help mitigate your legal risk. Make sure that you obtain a release from your attorney that is appropriate for the kind of podcast that you are making.
- Consider Vetting: Unscripted podcasters should consider working with an experienced first amendment attorney to help vet their podcasts and anticipate legal issues. This is particularly true if you are making statements and allegations concerning individuals who are not public figures (e.g., they are not celebrities or politicians). The potential risk is especially acute for podcasters operating in the true crime space, where stories often unravel in real time and there is a strong possibility of receiving incomplete or inaccurate information and thus making false or defamatory statements concerning a member of the public. An attorney will help review your scripts and ensure that you present information in a manner that is less likely to get you sued. Podcasters in the true crime space should also discuss with their attorney what to do in the possibility that their research and materials become subpoenaed as part of an active police case – in which event, the podcaster could be required to turn over materials and even act as a witness in court.
- Think Derivatives: Much of the money in podcasting at the moment arises from derivative rights – the ability to take the podcast into other avenues such as publishing, live touring, live stage, interactive, and especially film and television. Like their scripted brethren, unscripted podcasts are frequently being acquired by tv and film studios and producers – both to be transposed directly as documentaries and other unscripted formats, and for adaptation as scripted productions. Accordingly, it is important that podcasters are prepared in order to maximize their upside in the possibility of a sale. That means – at minimum – securing signed agreements with all contributors and collaborators. You may also want to consider securing life rights and/or exclusivity from your primary subjects. While this can slow down negotiations at the start of the podcast process, it does also ensure that you have maximum leverage when entering into negotiations with film and TV producers (whilst mitigating the risk of being circumvented by a competing project concerning the same subject matter – which is very possible when the subject matter relates to matters of public record, such as a historical event or crime). Your representatives will be able to discuss what is appropriate in order to protect you and your career in the event that your podcast takes off.
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Filed in: Legal Blog, Podcasting
June 10, 2019