ASSIGNMENT
#1
Mary Asher was a student in the freshman class at Florida Atlantic University. As a result of
advanced classes in high school, she entered college at age 17, and had the goal of becoming a
free lance writer. During the first week of classes, she
attended a meeting of the film society to
see a presentation made by James Shifty who is the Vice President of Production at
DreamWorks
Pictures, Hollywood, California.
After the meeting, Mary approached Mr. Shifty and stated that “she had
a synopsis of a
story
that
she would like him to look at.”
Mary also stated that she hoped that her story would fund her
last three years of college. Mr. Shifty
responded by giving her his busin
ess card and telephone
number.
When Mary broke
out in a big smile and ga
ve him
a wink,
Mr. Shifty grabbed her
hand, gave her
a kiss on her cheek
and stated, “Anything that you send, I will accept.”
The next
day, without any additional conversation with Mr. Shifty, Mary mailed an envelope
to
his
office
in California. The enve
lope contained
a two page synopsis of a story for a motion picture that
she had written over the summer. She believed her story was a good one because it involved two
scientists studying global warming
who got
trapped by melting ice
while conducting exper
iments
in the arctic.
Mary never received a reply from Mr. Shift
y
.
About a year later, Mary was shocked to see previews for a new movie, produced by
DreamWorks
Pictures that was identical to her story on the scientists in the arctic. Immediately
she cal
led you. a student in Entertainment Law and she requested that
you write
3
–
4
page essay
(doubled spaced)
on
the
rules of law that
would determine her
rights
to compensation
.
Write the essay. Use IRAC format.
APPLY CONTRACT
LAW
.