Lynyrd Skynyrd Movie Ban Lifted Over Unclear Rights Agreement

Oct. 10, 2018, 9:23 PM UTC

A company can make a movie about a Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer because of ambiguity in a right-of-publicity agreement that allowed band members to sell their own stories but not the band’s, a federal appeals court said.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled Oct. 10 that Cleopatra Records Inc. can resume production of a movie based on the life of Artimus Pyle, including his membership in the band and survival of a 1977 plane crash that killed some other band members.

The decision highlights the importance of clarity in right-of-publicity agreements. The ...

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