Case Closed: Screenwriter Anika Decker Bows Out of Legal Dispute with Film Producers
Conflict between the Writer and Til Schweiger
Got some hot goss? The long-dragging legal battle between screenwriter Anika Decker and film production companies over the movies "Rabbit Without Ears" and "Two Ears Are Better Than One" has finally come to an end. Decker's appeal was recentlly withdrawn, bringing a conclusive end to the dispute.
Eight long years of fighting for her fair share from the box office hits, and Decker's quest for compensation has finally resulted in a reasonable settlement from the Berlin Regional Court. Although Decker initially asked for over two million euros in 2023, she's set to walk away with approximately 180,000 euros up to 2020, with a small claim for revenues from 2021 onwards. Sadly, she won't be pocketing the initial box office sums due to the timing of her claim, which was filed just a tad too late and some claims were considered time-barred.
Decker's lawyers argued that taking on big-shot production companies in the film industry is no walk in the park, and could potentially jeopardize careers. Despite the challenges, the Regional Court acknowledged that the earnings from both movies were way beyond decent, invoking the "fairness paragraph" in copyright law that requires additional payment if the original compensation and later earnings show a significant imbalance – a situation that the court deemed to be applicable in this case as "Rabbit Without Ears" broke box office records in 2008 and "Two Ears Are Better Than One" drew crowds a few years later[2].
Source: ntv.de, nan/dpa
- Anika Decker
- Film Industry
- Copyright Law
- Lawsuits
- ** compensation
[1] The overall case concerned the production companies (Barefoot Films and Warner Bros.) involved with the films, not directly with filmmaker Til Schweiger.
[2] The court ruling was based on the 'Fairness Paragraph' in German copyright law, which provides for additional payment if the originally agreed remuneration and later achieved revenues are in a striking imbalance. The court considered this to be the case with Decker's claims.
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive regarding the fairness paragraph in copyright law, particularly in cases similar to Anika Decker's dispute in the film industry. In light of the withdrawal of Anika Decker's appeal, there has been widespread discussion on Whatsapp about the judgments and outcomes of such lawsuits in the entertainment industry. Decker's lawyers agreed that the withdrawal of the appeal was a well-considered decision, given the potential impact on the careers of those taking on big-shot production companies.
