Get Started Author: Contracts and Legal Advice for Writers and Authors
If you are a writer, screenwriter or author working in film, television or publishing, your creative work generates rights — and those rights need to be properly managed, protected and negotiated at every stage of the development and production process.
The Get Started Author package provides the key legal documents and contracts for writers working in the Italian and international entertainment industry, drafted and reviewed by DANDI lawyers with specialist knowledge of copyright and entertainment law.
What the Package Covers
The package addresses the most common legal needs of writers and authors working across film, TV and publishing:
- Writer agreements — contracts for the engagement of a writer to develop a screenplay, treatment, series bible or other creative work; deliverables, payment, rights and credit
- Literary option agreements — option contracts granting a producer the exclusive right to develop and produce a work based on a novel, story, article or other underlying material, for a defined period and fee
- Literary purchase agreements — outright acquisition of the rights to adapt and produce a work based on an underlying literary property
- Co-authorship agreements — contracts between two or more writers collaborating on a project, covering ownership, credit, decision-making and revenue sharing
- Adaptation rights agreements — contracts for the adaptation of existing works (novels, plays, articles, podcasts) into screenplays or other formats
- Development agreements — contracts between a writer and a producer or production company for the development of an original idea or format
Why It Matters Under Italian Law
Italian copyright law has specific rules that differ significantly from common law systems — particularly around moral rights (which are stronger and less waivable in Italy), the treatment of works created in the course of employment, and the relationship between authors and collecting societies. If you are writing for an Italian production or entering into a contract under Italian law, it is essential to understand what you are signing.
DANDI lawyers review every document in the package with the specific requirements of Italian law in mind, and can advise on any provisions that may have unexpected consequences under the Italian legal framework.
Who This Package Is For
- Screenwriters and television writers working with Italian or international productions
- Novelists and authors whose work is being optioned or adapted for film, TV or other media
- Journalists and non-fiction writers entering into development or adaptation agreements
- Playwrights licensing their work for film or television adaptation
- International writers working with Italian producers or entering contracts governed by Italian law
Related service: Get Started Producer — Film and TV Contracts for Independent Producers
Related reading: Italy-Serbia and Balkans Film Co-Productions: A Legal Guide
Get in Touch
Fill in the form below to tell us about your project, or book a call directly online. We respond within 24 hours on business days.
→ Book with Claudia Roggero: claudiaroggero.youcanbook.me
→ Book with Donato Di Pelino: donatodipelino.youcanbook.me
→ WhatsApp: +39 345.717.14.66