Lawyerese Goes Galactic as Contracts Try to Master the Universe

[snopes]

Lawyers for years have added language to some contracts that stretches beyond the Earth's atmosphere. But more and more people are encountering such everywhere-and-forever language as entertainment companies tap into amateur talent and try to anticipate every possible future stream of revenue.

Experts in contract drafting say lawyers are trying to ensure that with the proliferation of new outlets -- including mobile-phone screens, Twitter, online video sites and the like -- they cover all possible venues from which their clients can derive income, even those in outer space.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125658217507308619.html

[htonl]

Is is possible that those terms are there to handle satellite-based transmission? Forestalling some creative lawyer from arguing in the future that transmission via a satellite is not covered in the contract because the satellite is not on Earth?

[Embra]

Originally Posted by htonl

Is is possible that those terms are there to handle satellite-based transmission? Forestalling some creative lawyer from arguing in the future that transmission via a satellite is not covered in the contract because the satellite is not on Earth?

Satellite communications have been going long enough for them to be referred to specifically in media contracts. HOwever, your basic point is probably the key to the issue: media producers have previously been caught out by the speed of technological change in the industry. 25 years ago, you were basically looking at film, TV and radio rights, and maybe a spinoff book, and those media had been around for pver 50 years. But a contract written in 1985 didn't preserve rights in respect of, say, the internet. Even a contract written in 1995 probably didn't: I was working for a TV channel from 1997 and internet technology was really only just starting to make an impression on TV producers then (as it seemed to me anyway).