Author Clive Barker Sues to Recapture ‘Hellraiser’ Copyrights

Author Clive Barker sued an entertainment company in Los Angeles federal court on Sunday, seeking a declaration that he successfully terminated the company’s rights in his “Hellraiser” film screenplay and the book it was based on.

Part of the Copyright Act of 1976 allows an artist to terminate their transfer of a copyright in their work 35 years after the transfer in certain circumstances. The law is meant to protect artists, who often have unequal bargaining power when signing a contract because the value of their work can’t be determined until after it’s published.

An author may want to terminate ...