Resumen de France: : Director’s rightsholders legitimately refuse to renew video publication contract
On 17 December the Court of Cassation delivered an interesting decision on the operating rights of the rightsholders of a deceased film director. In the case at issue, the director of the film ‘Le Sang à la Tête’ had, under a contract signed in 1989, ceded his cinematographic representation rights for TV broadcasting and video publication to a publishing house. The director has since died, and his rightsholders have refused to renew the contract on expiry. The company had them summoned to appear in court to answer charges of abusive refusal on the basis of Article L. 122-9 of the Intellectual Property Code.
