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EntertainmentIndustry.name
The only time a company may take a writer's completed work to “test the waters” with the right to set it up it without having paid for such a right in advance is on television motion pictures where the company is actively seeking licensee interest or other financing.
This scenario is called an “if-come” deal wherein the writer's deal must be fully negotiated in advance so that if the Company's efforts are successful (the “if” part), the writer will have his/her deal already in place (the “come” part) and be attached to the project.
A step deal is when a screenwriter and a producing entity agree to “develop” a concept — but they agree to do so in stages. Depending on the terms, either party may have the option to pull out at predefined milestones.
For example, perhaps the treatment delivered by the writer doesn’t measure up to the production company’s expectations, so they may opt to bring in another writer to continue on the project. Alternately, there may be windows where the writer can allow the option to expire in order to recapture the copyright and develop the script with other parties.
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