Quentin Tarantino and Miramax ‘Push Fiction’ NFT Legal Pollination Ends; Director and Studio Await “Future Projects”

Update at 13:16: Just a year after it all started, Miramax and Quentin Tarantino have ended their legal battle over Pulp Fiction’s NFTs.

“The parties have agreed to leave this issue behind and look forward to working together on future projects, including potential NFTs,” the studio led by Bill Block and the Oscar-winning filmmaker said in a joint statement today. Said. Details of the agreement between the parties have not been made public, but Mirmax apparently hasn’t stopped Tarantino from selling NFTs that aren’t making as much money as they did a year ago.

It is also worth noting that it is Tarantino’s last film. once in hollywood It was produced by Columbia Pictures and released by Sony in 2019.

In a dramatic lawsuit that began last November, Miramax took its one-time golden boy to California federal court to thwart Tarantino’s desire to sell one of the digital tokens from the famous 1994 movie. He had almost all the rights. pulp Fiction.

The subject was discussed by Tarantino and his lawyer, Brian Friedman.

Earlier this summer, Tarantino claimed in his lawsuit that the NFT he marketed did not infringe Miramax’s Pulp Fiction copyrights. Noting that the NFTs are not actual movies but images based on Pulp Fiction script, Tarantino asked a court in June to dismiss the Miramax case.

Now this is all debatable, or as Samuel L Jackson said in Pulp Fiction: if my answers scare you, then stop asking scary questions.

In the early evening of January 10: As the digital clock ticks, Quentin Tarantino and Miramax begin to dust legal over the Oscar-winning actor’s plan to auction off his NFTs. pulp Fiction The script opened up a whole new front.

A week before the seven-bid 1994 movie script began, lawyers at Bill Block’s studio drew a clear line in the infringement arena with a platform that brought products to market. Miramax’s foreign legal counsel, Bart H. Williams, in a letter sent this afternoon to SCRT Labs CEO Guy Zyskind (read here).

In the partner’s email, Proskauer Rose LLP adds, “Whatever the limited rights Mr. Tarantino has over the broadcast script, they do not allow Miramax to acquire unique NFTs on his intellectual property and his position to the contrary is subject to litigation.” . . “What your press release calls Mr. Tarantino’s ‘never-before-seen scenario’ still cannot be ‘iconic’; or ‘Fans’ Favourite’, so it’s clear that you and Mr. Tarantino are attempting to exploit Miramax’s content, intellectual property and brand.”

Then, after some more grunts, things get a little medieval.

Please note that assuming you (like Mr. Tarantino) plan to continue with the auction, you do so at your own risk, including the risk that proceeds from subsequent sales will be shared with Miramax. potential harm,” Williams said in the letter. We hope you will inform potential buyers of the risks of purchasing these unauthorized NFTs, including that buyers may be required to return the NFTs to Miramax and forfeit the price they paid for these NFTs, and the buyers may be subject to liability. case. They then sell the unauthorized NFTs (including potential legal damages),” he wrote.

SCRT Labs representatives did not respond to Deadline’s request for comment on this latest salvo, which has so far escalated into a gunfight.

In mid-November, Miramax sued former Golden Goose Tarantino for breach of contract, copyright infringement and more after the filmmaker announced weeks ago his intention to monetize the irreplaceable fashion icon. “Unchecked, Tarantino’s behavior could lead others to believe Miramax was involved in his own venture,” the 22-page jury said. While Miramax has the necessary rights to develop, market and sell NFTs in conjunction with its deep film library, this may lead others to believe they have the right to make such deals or offers.”

Tarantino’s outspoken attorney, Brian Friedman, backed off almost immediately.

“Quentin Tarantino’s contract is clear: he has the right to sell NFTs from his own handwritten script. pulp Fiction And this clumsy attempt to stop him from doing so will fail.” “Now that he has a shell of his old self and is crumbling under a new consortium of owners, Miramax has decided to bite the hand that has fed it for so many years by opening this extremely frivolous lawsuit,” said one lawyer out.

Lawyers are scheduled to hold their first planning conference on February 24, but this may be virtual due to Covid-19. Meanwhile, Tarantino and the Secret Network have set January 17-21 dates for the Pulp Fiction “Part 1” auction, which will run through January 27.

Interestingly, the auction will not take place on the OpenSea platform as originally announced. Today’s letter highlights this change and uses SCRT labs to further punish. A three-page letter from attorney Williams to Zyskind mocks that “OpenSea probably didn’t want to aid and abet deliberate copyright and other violations.”

Or as Harvey Keitel, played by Winston Wolff, puts it pulp Fiction: “Please sprinkle sugar on top, clean the car.”