Steven Spielberg owns the rights to all of MLK Jr's speeches.

[Flawless]

The recent news that Chris Rock will be producing and directing a film about the life of Martin Luther King Jr. raises interesting questions regarding the legal rights and clearances that must be acquired to undertake such a production. The answers to these questions also explain the scarcity of films about the legendary Dr. King.






In 2009, iconic filmmaker Steven Spielberg and his company DreamWorksSKG successfully negotiated with Dr. King’s Estate to obtain a license to use Dr. King’s copyrighted speeches in a film, and news broke that Spielberg had also obtained the film rights to Dr. King’s life (known in the movie business as life rights.)




By paying the Estate for the film rights to Dr. King's speeches along with life rights, Spielberg obtained unprecedented filmmaking access to Dr. King’s life — supported by Dr. King’s extraordinary intellectual property (the right to use Dr. King’s actual words.) At the time, NPR quoted a DreamWorks press release stating “The DreamWorks film will be the first theatrical motion picture to be authorized by The King Estate to utilize the intellectual property of Dr. King to create the definitive portrait of his life.” Although the DreamWorks project was eventually canceled, Spielberg held onto the copyright and life rights licenses.

Steven Spielberg Has The Rights To Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Speeches. Here's What That Means

Steven Spielberg is the executive producer of Universal Pictures' Martin Luther King, Jr. biopic, which is reportedly to be directed by Chris Rock.

www.forbes.com

 

[TIMEISMONEY]

White peoples!!!

 

[Mr.Chuckles]

I can't blame white people if this is true whoever executed those contracts on behalf of the king estate is stupid!

 

[elchoccolatte]

I can't blame white people if this is true whoever executed those contracts on behalf of the king estate is stupid!

#WeRd

 

[APOPHIS]

So many Civil Rights Movement leaders' offsprings have been complete failures.
Idiots.

 

[jagu]

Well, he didn’t steal them. All these other Black organizations had a chance to buy them but they passed.

 

[Chiyo]

So many Civil Rights Movement leaders' offsprings have been complete failures.
Idiots.

Facts, but in kings case what dude really was going to raise them?

King died when his kids were little, his brother was dead a year later, his pops was old as shit. Coretta was pretty much carrying 4 traumatized kids by herself at that point. Im not shocked if they cashed in on his speeches as soon as they could....kids gotta eat

 

[footloose]

Playing chess.
I’ll suppose he’ll bury any radical speeches and publish the docile speeches to keep you niccas in check

 

[cashwhisperer]

negotiated with Dr. King’s Estate to obtain a license to use Dr. King’s copyrighted speeches in a film

There's a difference between owning the copyright vs. obtaining a license.

Are they saying that Spielberg OWNS the copyright??

 

[Flawless]

There's a difference between owning the copyright vs. obtaining a license.

Are they saying that Spielberg OWNS the copyright??

Ownership doesn't matter its about who has the rights to use it. No other movie can use the I have a dream speech which is why it was not included in the Selma movie because Spielberg has the rights.

 

[ny1800]

Great another piece of black history that will be white-washed.

 

[Z MONSTER]

So many Civil Rights Movement leaders' offsprings have been complete failures.
Idiots.

She's MLKs niece, but I want to drop kick her ass

 

[lazarus]

black folks always selling to white people for black owned property. how do you think slavery started? Those Dumbocrats gave their property to their white messiah

 

[Mr. Met]

Next up, Steven Spielberg’s ‘King’

 

[durham]

Damn shame

 

[RoadRage]

Who did he buy it from, some kat named Ruga Blick from 145th and Amsterdam who sold it to him promising that once he owned it, he could re-write the whole civil rights movement from history?