Counsel, Intellectual Property - India

This is a Full Time Job

At Netflix, we are shaping the future of entertainment with one simple goal, to bring people joy. Our international efforts have brought Netflix's service and award-winning Originals programming to viewers in over 190 countries. To bring joy to global audiences, we need truly global content that doesn't always come from Hollywood. So for India, our content legal team is in search of an IP lawyer to handle a wide range of legal issues that arise from the creation and streaming of Netflix original content in India.

In this position, working from Mumbai, you will be reporting to the Director & Senior Counsel - Intellectual Property (India) on topics a broad range of issues relating to IP in the film and television industry, including rights acquisition, copyright issues, chain-of-title clearances, title clearances and registration, production clearance of content, IP enforcement, IP claims defense, moral rights issues and defamation claims. This role will closely collaborate with the creative, production, public policy, communication, marketing, litigation and licensing teams that work together to create Netflix's great content.

As IP Counsel, your entertainment and media related experience and expertise enables you to work across any situation that may be encountered related to television or film production in India. You are not phased by the last minute surprises that inevitably arise while developing, shooting or marketing a film, series or documentary. You expertly navigate those situations while allowing your colleagues to fulfill their creative and business goals. You understand the dynamics among showrunners, executive producers, line producers, finance, post-production, marketing and creative, and know when and how to align the appropriate teams when IP issues arise. You are comfortable evaluating risk with imperfect information and have the confidence to make quick decisions. You have an expert eye for detail. You are passionate about the media and entertainment industry and Indian IP laws are excited to learn more about the business from a non-traditional perspective. Above all, you have an opinion and are willing to voice it.

The successful candidate will love working in an environment where curiosity, courage, passion, freedom and responsibility are mandates. That candidate will also thrive in a workplace that values thoughtful efficiency more than process, and innovation more than convention.

Some occasional travel to the US will be required.

Requirements:
• 5 years of working experience as an in-house lawyer in the Indian media and entertainment industry or as an associate in a law firm specializing in the area of media and entertainment.
• Meticulous understanding of Intellectual property laws, Civil Procedure Code, Criminal Procedure Code, Indian Penal Code, Information Technology Act and Constitution of India.
• Production clearance experience for film and/or television series, including managing production personnel and negotiating and drafting license agreements, no objection letters, release forms, etc., for a wide variety of production materials.
• Good knowledge of filmed entertainment and the production process.
• Seasoned experience with dealing in complex right transactions for acquisition/license of book rights, underlying copyrightable works rights and content rights.
• Experience managing heavy workflow and cross vertical collaboration independently.
• Outstanding communication skills and a bias toward creative and innovative thinking.
• Ability to work proactively, independently and reliably on multiple projects under tight timeframes in a fast-paced environment interacting with production houses, cross-functional departments and vendors.
• Highly collaborative and responds positively to change and new ideas. Curious and eager to tackle matters outside the area of expertise.
• Sense of humor!

Responsibilities:

• Identify IP-related risks in our content and help creative teams navigate them.
• Collaborate with creative and business and legal affairs teams to acquire and develop IP, then shepherd it through production and distribution.
• Analyze trademark clearances, including multi-jurisdiction searches in collaboration with the trademark team.
• Manage intellectual property claims in a pre-litigation stage.
• Collaborate with litigation and public policy teams for litigation and regulatory work that involves IP issues.
• Rapidly respond to production clearance issues and queries of the production houses and the creative team
• Develop and implement production clearance strategies for Indian content created locally by team India.
• Conduct chain of title review for complex rights acquisition and provide concise and pragmatic analysis.
• Negotiate and draft license agreements, release forms and no objection letters etc. for a wide variety of production materials.
• Collaborate with the marketing legal team to advise on IP-related issues in marketing and promotional content.
• Work on creating innovative workflows/projects between IP and other teams to drive more efficiency.