The two types of Film & Television insurance we provide are a Production Package and Errors & Omissions. More information on both can be seen below.

Production Package

Summary of Coverages

Cast
Provides cover for any person designated for insurance and appearing in or contracted to work in a declared production. Indemnity is paid for additional costs incurred as a result of a declared person being prevented by their death, injury or sickness occurring during the period of insurance, from commencing, continuing or completing their respective duties or performances.

Negative/Faulty
Provides cover for the costs of repairing and/or replacing raw film or tape stock exposed film (developed) as a result of damage or destruction caused by an insured peril during the course of filming, processing, transport or storage up to the time of delivery.

Props, Sets & Wardrobe
Provides cover for the value of props, sets & wardrobe and/or camera and related equipment, owned or rented by the Insured which is lost, damaged or destroyed during the term of cover while such property is used in connection with the declared production.

Miscellaneous Equipment
Provides cover on rented or owned camera, camera equipment, sound and lighting equipment, post production and editing equipment, portable electric equipment and generators, mechanical effects equipment, grip equipment, and similar miscellaneous equipment against all risk of direct physical loss, damage or destruction occurring during a covered production, including loss of use to a rental company (if requested).

Extra Expense
Provides cover for losses the Insured sustains as a result of extra expenses the Insured incurs in the event of the interruption, postponement or cancellation of a production as a direct and sole result of loss of damage to or destruction of property or facilities contracted by the Insured for use in connection with such production caused by the perils insured against and occurring during the term of coverage.

Third Party Property Damage
Provides cover for all sums for which the Insured shall become legally obligated to pay as damages because of loss of, or injury to, or destruction of property of others occurring during the term of cover whilst such property is in the care, custody, or control of the Insured.

Office Contents
Provides cover for the value of the business personal property including furniture, fixtures equipment and supplies owned by the Insured, or which is the property of others for which the Insured is liable and which is lost, damaged or destroyed during the term of coverage.

Money & Securities
Provides cover for money and securities used in connection with the Insured Productions.

Commercial Vehicle Physical Damage
Provides cover for the value of motor vehicles in connection with the declared production, which are the property of others for which the Insured is liable.

Errors & Omissions

Summary of Coverages

This cover indemnifies the Production Company in respect of any sums which they shall become legally obligated to pay as damages resulting from claims made during the currency of the policy, arising out of:

  1. Invasion or infringement or interference with the right of privacy or publicity, whether under Common Law or Statutory Law.
  2. Infringement of copyright or trademark, whether under Common Law or other forms of defamation.
  3. Libel, Slander or other forms of defamation.
  4. Plagiarism, piracy or unfair competition resulting from alleged unauthorised use of titles, formats, ideas, characters, plots, performances of artists or performers, or other materials.
  5. Breach of Contract, implied in fact or in law, resulting from the alleged submission, acquisition or use of programme, musical or literary material, used by the Insured in the Production.

Insurers also agree to pay all costs and expenses incurred by Insurers in defending, settling or investigating any claim up to and within the limit of indemnity.

Cover is subject to the completion of an application form and its acceptance and adherence to the Clearance Procedures detailed below.

 

Clearance Procedures

The Clearance Procedures below should not be construed as exhaustive and they do not cover all situations that may arise on any particular production.

  1. Applicant and its lawyer should continually monitor the production at all stages, from inception through to final cut, with a view to eliminating material which cold give rise to a claim.
  2. The script should be read prior to commencement of the production, to eliminate matter that is defamatory, invades privacy or is otherwise potentially actionable.
  3. Unless work is an unpublished original, not based on any other work, a Copyright Report must be obtained. Both domestic and foreign copyrights and renewal rights should be checked. If a completed film is being acquired, a similar review should be made on copyright and renewals on any copyright underlying property.
  4. If the script is an unpublished original, the origins of the work should be ascertained i.e. basic idea, sequence of events and characters. It should also be ascertained whether submission of any similar properties have been received by the Applicant and, if so, the circumstances as to why the submitting party may not claim theft or infringement, should be described in detail.
  5. Prior to final title selection, a Title Report should be obtained.
  6. Regardless of whether the production is fictional (and location is identifiable) or factual, the Insured should ensure that no names, faces or likenesses of any recognisable living persons are used, unless written releases have been obtained. Release is unnecessary if any individual is part of a crowd scene or shown in a fleeting background. Telephone books or other sources should be checked, when appropriate. Releases can only be dispensed with if the Applicants provides the Company with specific reasons, in writing, as to why such releases are unnecessary, and such reasons being accepted by the Company. The term ‘living persons’ includes thinly-disguised versions of living persons or living persons who are readily identifiable because of identity or other characters or because of the factual, historical or geographic setting.
  7. All releases must permit the Applicant the right to edit, modify, add to and/or delete material juxtapose any part of the production, change the sequence of events or events, including the release, and to make any other changes in the production that the Applicant deems appropriate. If a minor, consent has to be legally binding.
  8. If music is used in the production, the Applicant must obtain all necessary synchronisation and performance licenses from composers or copyright proprietors. Licenses must also be obtained on pre-recorded music.
  9. Written agreements must exist between the Applicant and all creators, authors, writers, performers and any other persons providing material – including quotations from copyrighted works – or on-screen services.
  10. If distinctive locations, buildings, businesses, personal property or products are filmed, written releases should be secured. This is not necessary if non-distinctive background use is made of real property.
  11. If the production involves actual events, it should be ascertained that the author’s sources are independent and primary contemporaneous newspaper reports, court transcripts, interview with witness, etc) and not secondary (another author’s copyrighted work, autobiographies, copyrighted magazine articles, etc).
  12. Shooting Script and rough cuts should be checked, if possible to ensure compliance of all the above. During photography persons might be photographed on location, dialogue added or other matter included which was not originally contemplated.
  13. If the intent is to use the production on videotapes, video cassettes, video discs or other such technology, rights to manufacture, distribute and release the production should be obtained, including the above rights, from all writers, directors, actors, musicians, composers and others necessary, including proprietors of underlying materials.
  14. Film clips are potentially ‘dangerous’ unless licenses and authorisation for the second use are obtained from the owner of the clip(s) or party authorised to license the same, as well as licenses from all persons rendering services in or supplying material contained in the film (clip(s) etc, underlying literary rights, performances of actors or musicians. Special attention should be paid to music rights, as publishers are taking the position that new synchronisation and performance licenses are required.
  15. Aside from living persons, even dead persons – through their personal representatives or heirs – have a ‘right of publicity’, especially where there is considerable fictionalisation. Clearances should be obtained where necessary. Where the work if fictional, in whole or in part, the names of all characters must be fictional. If, for some special reason, particular names need not be fictional, full details must be provided to the Company in an attachment to the Application.
  16. Consideration should be given to the likelihood of any claim or litigation, e.g.
    • Is there a potential claimant portrayed in the Production who has sued before or is likely to sue again?
    • Is there a close copyright of the Production such as to require difficult and extensive discovery in the event of necessity to defend?
    • Is the subject matter to the Production such as to require difficult and extensive discovery in the event of necessity to defend?
    • Are sources reliable?

    The above factors should be considered in your clearance procedures and recommendations.