Documentary Option and Purchase Agreement

The Documentary Option and Purchase Agreement is to secure the option and purchase rights of Source Material for Development into a Documentary.  Source material may be a book, magazine article, podcast, or any other type of source material.

This is a legal document that details the terms and conditions between a Producer and the Owner of the Source Material for development into a documentary.
It covers the essential elements of the relationship such as:

• Date of Recording
• Ownership Rights
• Release Date
• Use Rights of Recording
• And More.

This agreement can be used for either a feature, film, or episodic series-style documentary.
There are two phases of the agreement. The Option and the Purchase. The first is the Option, to be able to explore the development, seek financing and/or distribution, and then the Purchase phase, if the Option is exercised to be made into a project.

The Documentary Option/Purchase Contract of Source Material such as a book, magazine, or podcast is different than a Life Rights Option Agreement (which may also be necessary).

Generally, when you need to use source material for the basis of a documentary, you will need to get the rights from the author/owner and possibly the subject of the documentary as well.  A good industry standard Documentary Agreement will help you secure all the rights needed for your production and help secure the Chain-of-Title for purchasers or distributors.

Other names for this Document:

Film Documentary Option and Purchase Agreement, Film Documentary Option and Purchase Contract, Series Documentary Option and Purchase Agreement, Documentary Option Documentary Option Agreement, Option and Literary Purchase Agreement, Option and Purchase Agreement.

Approximate time to complete contract:  4-5 Minutes

>Single-Use Contract Unless Purchased with a Subscription