ABSTRACT
In an industry such as the film business, known for using lawsuits and litigation as an accepted way of doing business, and in a country like the United States, where the legal system allows lawsuits to be filed for all the right and wrong reasons and where obtaining justice depends to a large degree on the financial resources of litigants, it is vitally important that everyone involved in motion picture production is protected every step of the way by deal memos, agreements, and contracts that spell out in complete detail all elements involved. Although production managers are not commonly targets of lawsuits, when things go wrong, when money is lost and egos are hurt, anyone can become a defendant, regardless of whether the plaintiff has a valid case. Even an unjustified lawsuit costs the defendant a sizable amount of moneyan expense usually unrecoverable even if the defendant wins. Lawsuits sometimes are filed as a means of blackmail and intimidation. The only protection from possible litigation is to keep records of all transactions, memos, and activities.
