Copyrights on derivative works

[Savage]

My company has been developing a commercial computer game. We signed a deal with a retail game publisher, and they agreed to contribute some of the content for the game based on our design specifications. After working together for a year, the publisher got into financial trouble and had to pull out, breaching our agreement in the process. According to our contract, all rights to the game reverted back to us under such a situation. We are continuing to develop the game on our own. Can we use any of the content that the publisher produced, since it was based on our original design? The content is specific to our game and would have no value outside of it.

For instance, we created scripts for voice acting used in the game, hand picked the voice actors, and our producer directed the voice actors in their work. However, the publisher paid the voice actors, and they was recorded in the publisher's studio by the publisher's employees. We have possession of these voice lines? Can we use them in our product? Do we hold any copyright ownership rights to the actual recordings?

 

[ALawyer]

To answer that question would require a very careful review of the wording of the contract, an understanding of the background discussions, your state's law (or the law that governs under the contract), an analysis of the arrangements with the voice over performers, etc.

It can not be answered on a bulletin board.

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