Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Pulp Fiction’ NFT Plans Land Him in Hot Water With Miramax Lawsuit
Quentin Tarantino fans can’t get enough of 1994’s Pulp Fiction. It’s the film that just keeps on giving. Tarantino’s legendary sophomore effort sports an impressive cast and a story that only gets more interesting as more information comes out on it. Miramax is now suing Tarantino for offering never-before-seen Pulp Fiction scenes through an NFT. Here’s the story around the Miramax and Tarantino lawsuit.
Quentin Tarantino announced ‘Pulp Fiction’ NFT plans
Tarantino announced his plans to sell exclusive footage that didn’t make the final cut in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). The package includes early Pulp Fiction scripts and an exclusive audio commentary from Tarantino. This is a way for the filmmaker to take control of his own content via a private connection between the artist and the audience.
These digital collectibles are in a wide array of file formats, but they’re essentially digital goods. Pulp Fiction fans are excited to see the new content that is awaiting. Tarantino is in a position to make a lot of money through this deal. However, distributor Miramax has an issue with how Tarantino is going about releasing this never-before-seen footage.
Quentin Tarantino lawsuit is a way for Miramax to make an example out of him
The Wall Street Journal reported that Miramax is suing Tarantino over the Pulp Fiction NFTs. Miramax is alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract. The distributor’s lawsuit asserts that Tarantino is seeking to, “capitalize, unilaterally, on Miramax’s rights to Pulp Fiction.”
Miramax sent Tarantino a cease-and-desist letter that expressed how the filmmaker is breaching the rights agreement with the distributor.
“This one-off effort devalues the NFT rights to Pulp Fiction, which Miramax intends to maximize through a strategic, comprehensive approach,” Proskauer Rose LLP partner Bart Williams said. “Miramax will defend all of its rights in regard to its library, including rights relating to NFTs, and will not allow Quentin’s representatives to deceive others into believing they have the authority to make similar deals in violation of the rights agreements they signed.”
Tarantino’s legal team responded to the cease-and-desist letter that he was able to continue with the NFT under a “reserved rights” clause in his original contract. However, Miramax claims that only covers the film’s soundtrack, music publishing, live performance, print publication, comic books, and theatrical and television sequel and spinoff rights.
Tarantino’s lawyer hasn’t responded to WSJ to comment.
NFTs are growing in popularity
Tarantino isn’t the first Hollywood figure to express interest in the NFT market. Hollywood itself has started to explore it as a possible revenue stream. For example, Warner Bros. started selling The Matrix avatars as NFT content. They also invested in NFTs for their movie Space Jam: A New Legacy.
The NFT market provides an interesting opportunity for artists to connect directly with consumers. The Miramax and Tarantino lawsuit may inform how future filmmakers interact with this marketplace. However, Hollywood studios are less restricted, since they are bigger entities that own their own content.
