I Watch Movies for a Living (And You Can Too!): A Beginner's Guide to Content Clearance and Review

From documentaries to blockbuster films, all content that reaches an audience has undergone - or should undergo legal review - to mitigate risks. Whether it is ensuring compliance with copyright law or avoiding a defamation claim, content clearance is a critical part of filmmaking as well as entertainment, media, and IP law.

In this presentation, Jon Mechanic will provide a high-level crash course in content clearance and review, with a focus on documentary filmmaking-the source of some of the most compelling and complex case studies. While our primary lens will be on documentary film, the principles we explore apply across different media.

First, we will break down errors and omissions (E&O) insurance-what it is, what legal risks it covers, and why it is a key deliverable for distribution. Second, we will walk through key legal concerns in content clearance, including Defamation, Copyright infringement, licensing, fair use/fair dealing, "Idiosyncratic" rules, the evolving landscape of deepfakes, and life story rights

Throughout the session, we will refer to a fictitious case study involving documentary filmmaking, graphic novels, and Shih Tzus - don't worry, no Shih Tzus were harmed in the making of this CLE presentation!

 

Learning Objectives:

1. Break down the role of errors and omissions insurance in content production and distribution
2. Identify and assess key legal risks, including defamation and copyright infringement
3. Recognize how different legal frameworks apply to content distributed globally
4. Apply content clearance principles through a real-world case study