Legal and Ethical Issues

 Legal and Ethical Issues

Laws

• Copyright - To not steal intellectual properties and use them, claiming them as your own. Protection of intellectual property for user and creator for a set period of time.

• Defamation - To not use an intellectual property or brand and tarnish/defame its reputation

• Libel and Slander - Libel is written information (magazine or newspaper) which tarnishes something's reputation; Slander is verbal attacks (e.g. the news) against something, speaking ill of it. The law is the tarnishing of something's reputation due to misinformation

• Breach of Contract - Breaking one of the agreed upon terms within a contractual agreement.

• Non-Disclosure Agreements - A legally binding contract which establishes confidential agreements regarding the work within the contract. 

To Avoid Copyright Claims:

• Create all content from scratch - original designs, music, characters, narratives etc.

• Request Permission from copyright owner - can be free dependent on contexts but may cost dependent on project nature

• Use of copyright free/Creative Commons or public domain assets - are usable without permissions

Media Permissions - The Last of Us HBO

HBO will have had to acquire rights from Sony as they own The Last of Us game IP; this in addition to music rights from the game, other artists like Depeche Mode (Never Let me Down Again), Erasure (Chains of Love) and Fleetwood Mac (Coming Home to Stay). This is in addition to assets from the game (characters) like Joel, Ellie or the infected. Due to the recent release of The Last of Us game (in 2013).

How would contracts/Non-disclosure agreements affect pre-production?

Not disclosing anything about the product before production. Taking on contractors which have a proven track record to not leak or discuss the product before production. 

Moral Issues exist such as:

• Treatment of talent and staff

• depictions of social groups

• adhering to local customs if filming abroad 

Ethical Issues in:

• Production of a short film - Fair hours and pay for staff

• Creating a fashion magazine - Fair hours and pay for staff

• Initial programming of a game - Fair hours and pay for staff