We get a lot of calls these days about Producer Errors and Omissions Insurance, so I decided it was a good idea to revisit the topic in greater detail.
What is Producer Errors and Omissions Insurance?
I wrote a blog a while back explaining what Errors and Omissions Insurance covers and why it’s needed.
Errors and omissions insurance covers losses other than property damage caused by your production company or its employees.
- Infringement of Copyright
- Invasion of Privacy
- Plagiarism
- Libel or Slander
Your General liability insurance covers damages to a third-party or their property.
Why Do You Need Producer Omissions and Errors Insurance?
If you are a filmmaker, you need E&O before establishing your production’s distribution network. Errors & Omissions insurance is not limited to movie producers. In fact, radio and television producers are also eligible for liability coverage.
Errors and Omissions Insurance protects film producers from lawsuits that can and do arise over the content of their production. Take, for example, a couple of the many legal cases surrounding the Harry Potter series.
In 1999, Nancy Kathleen Stouffer alleged copyright infringement by J.K. Rowling, based on Rowling’s use of the word “Muggles.”Another case involved a scene where Rowling named a band called the Weird Sisters. Apparently, there was a group that owned the rights to the name in Canada. Both cases resulted in a drawn-out legal battle and high legal fees.
Copyright infringement can occur without you even realizing it. In the case of the band name, how could you possibly research every group in every country? Most writers don’t think that far ahead. They just hope to produce a script that people like.
That is why you need Producer Errors and Omissions Insurance.
The Fine Print
Movie producers are not the only ones who should consider Errors and Omissions Insurance. Any type of production that involves a written script should definitely consider E & O as a supplement to their general liability policy.
- Movies
- Short Films
- YouTube Videos
- Radio
- Theater
- Television
However, you must get Producer Errors and Omissions Insurance BEFORE distribution. Productions facing litigation due to content errors are not eligible for coverage.
For more information on production insurance in California, contact Equipment & Production Insurance. The team at Equipment and Production Insurance are film, photographic & entertainment industry insurance specialists. Whether you need short-term, annual, post, documentary, commercial, equipment, rental house, E&O, or rent your own insurance, you can rely on their quick and knowledgeable assistance to meet all of your production insurance needs.
