Marvel has reportedly started a writer’s program, putting “more than a half dozen” writers on full-time staff and giving them their own offices with a plan to “work them like horses.”
Before the writers are even allowed to come in and meet, they must sign a non-disclosure agreement and a 70-page, non-negotiable contract. Among other things, the contract gives Marvel ownership over everything the writers create during the one year term of [the] deal, plus a first look and last refusal to any and all projects the writers have previously written or will write for 24 months in the future. [DHD]
They may get some good movies out of this, but if there are there any lawyers reading this, I’d like to know: do these post-termination agreements actually stand up in court? I can see being able to control your employees while they’re working for you, but believing you can dictate terms even after they leave (and for two years after) is just pure balls. Imagine you show up, they treat you like crap, nothing about the job pans out as promised, and you leave after a week. You still owe them the right to anything you create (to possibly acquire just to keep it from being made elsewhere) for the next two years? See, this is why all my semi-autobiographical poetry is self-published. I’m nobody’s slave, as you can clearly see by the inscription on this tattoo of an eagle riding a Harley.
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