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- Apr 22, 2014
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Hi, I have a question about licensing and merchandising rights for a screenplay I've written. There was another post that was helpful in which it was concluded that screenwriters basically have no rights and at the most, they are awarded up to 5% of any royalties for merchandising only if the written material exactly describes the product being sold (as determined by the studio, of course). What I'm wondering is -- what if I obtained a trademark for my character and title? Maybe with an artist rendition of the character in action? (think new superhero with lots of marketing and merchandising potential) I've looked into it, and obtaining a trademark requires a lot of paperwork, money, and time, but it would seem worth it to protect and hopefully capitalize on my original material -- or at least be able to negotiate a deal for it. Or would this all just aggravate the studios and give them a reason to slam the door in my face? Thank you for any advice.