According to Variety, Miramax has filed a lawsuit accusing filmmaker Quentin Tarantino of copyright infringement over selling NFTs based on the Pulp Fiction screenplay. The sale was recently announced at a crypto-art convention in New York.
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The apparent plan is to auction off NFT based on excerpts from Tarantino’s original handwritten script for the movie “accompanied by commentary.” The outlet reports that the NFT is pitched as a “secret,” meaning that its contents will be viewable exclusively by the owner.
According to the lawsuit filed by Miramax, Tarantino did don’t consult with the company beforehand. Miramax still owns the rights to the film, and the studio’s attorneys have reportedly sent a cease and desist letter seeking to block the sale, but that has apparently “not stopped Tarantino and his team from moving forward.”
“This group chose to recklessly, greedily, and intentionally disregard the agreement that Quentin signed instead of following the clear legal and ethical approach of simply communicating with Miramax about his proposed ideas,” said Miramax attorney Bart Williams. “This one-off effort devalues the NFT rights to Pulp Fiction, which Miramax intends to maximize through a strategic, comprehensive approach.”
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According to the lawsuit, Tarantino’s lawyer told the studio that the filmmaker retained the right to publish his screenplay in the contract with Miramax, which they say includes the right to the NFT sale. Miramax argues that NFTs are a “one-time sale,” not comparable to the publication of a screenplay, so “therefore Miramax owns the NFT rights.” The suit claims there is a breach of contract, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, and unfair competition.
