Contract Administrator, Home Entertainment

This is a Full Time Job

This position is responsible for identifying legal issues in connection with home entertainment marketing and ensuring legal compliance of such marketing materials, including advising the Home Entertainment Creative, Marketing, Publicity, Digital, Sales, Special Markets, Online Technology, and Promotions Departments as well as Crackle with respect to artwork, advertising, marketing, publicity, promotions, credits, approvals, and other obligations and restrictions for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment's product.

After receiving the materials, they must be reviewed, assessed for legal issues and then legally cleared before the deadline by which such material must be produced, aired, printed or otherwise used. This job exists in order to ensure that all materials have had a thorough legal assessment before being utilized in connection with the marketing and promotion of the home entertainment product in its new release window as well as for catalog repromotes and downstream media uses. This job is necessary to avoid third party claims, including but not limited to claims from talent, with respect to such marketing materials.

1. Review and conduct the legal assessment of marketing materials worldwide, including issue spotting potential liabilities to Home Entertainment and Crackle and determining what clearances or modifications to materials are needed for each marketing, publicity or promotional piece to be utilized in the marketplace. Potential liabilities may include right of publicity issues, intellectual property uses, talent/crew contractual restrictions/obligations, guild requirements, third party rights holders clearances and music issues. Advise marketing, publicity and promotion departments regarding clearance questions, legal issues and clearance status of the marketing materials, including maintaining detailed clearance documentation such that they can refer to such documentation for additional advertising, publicity, promotional uses/restrictions. Acting as a liaison between the marketing group and various Sony Pictures and outside entities for numerous clearance issues.

2. Research and review talent agreements, crew agreements and third party documentation relating to the materials. Such agreements may include long form talent, crew, union, production, distribution and license agreements. Determine the scope of likeness and credit rights, approvals, consultations and/or restrictions of talent and crew per their agreements or guild standing for domestic and international home entertainment releases. Create summaries of such credit, likeness and paid ad obligations and restrictions.
3. Drafting clip licenses for third party promotional uses; drafting and securing waivers from talent in connection with marketing materials; drafting quitclaim licenses for materials to third parties; drafting market research vendor service agreements and promotion consultant agreements; various legal research projects on issues such as rights, materials return, double sales, privacy, consumer products, and chain of title/ legal delivery.
4. Research legal issues in connection with third party promotions/tie-ins, consultation/approval obligations, and script clearance issues. Advise the marketing and promotions departments in connection with determining which materials are available for co-promotions.
5. Reviewing clips for legal clearance for use by various SPE divisions and departments, including Home Entertainment, Television, Digital, and Crackle; Updating trailer clearance database and coupling/bundling restrictions lists and entering copyright information into marketing and legal databases. Maintain files of all clearances, allowing easy document verification on past and present clearance information.Knowledge of:

Experienced knowledge of interpreting talent agreements and industry practices and standards with respect to credits and likeness issues
Working knowledge of legal clearance issues worldwide, such as right of publicity, intellectual property, and guild requirements
Working knowledge of other film and television production documentation, such as crew agreements and music licenses
Basic knowledge of legal document delivery requirements including chain of title


Skill In:

Contract interpretation
Oral and written communication

Organization and time management


Detail-orientation


Ability To:

Spot legal issues in marketing materials and execute the legal clearance process
Draft licenses and other legal documentation and conduct legal research
Interpret contractual, guild and other legal restrictions and convey them in layman's terms
Develop and maintain professional level of conduct to foster a spirit of cooperation with internal and external contacts
Coordinate clearance functions with Marketing, Music Legal, Labor Relations, Intellectual Property, Rights Administration, and Legal Files
Respond appropriately to the needs of demanding clients
Quickly and accurately assess the priority of assignments and appropriately react to changes in priorities and strict, tight deadlines
Experience Required:
Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Lotus Notes, Acrobat Reader, Powerpoint, Internet research tools is required
Paralegal degree or JD is strongly preferred
2+ years of legal experience in a Studio or Entertainment company is strongly recommended