Settlement Reached: Anika Decker and Til Schweiger's Legal Battle Over Film Revenue Shares Squashed
Contention between Til Schweiger and the candidate
Let's kick this conversation off in a friendly, laid-back style. So, you've probably heard about the longstanding hullabaloo between screenwriter Anika Decker and film director Til Schweiger, right? Well, it's about time we said goodbye to this legal tussle.
For years, Decker and Schweiger have been duking it out over a bigger slice of the revenue pie from the films "Rabbit Without Ears" and "Two Ears." The legal battle revolved around Decker's quest for a more substantial share of the millions earned by these cinematic hits. As per reports, Decker originally demanded over two million euros from the production company Barefoot Films and the media conglomerate Warner Bros.[1]
Since it's fun to gossip about juicy controversies, you might have heard that Decker's demands were deemed excessive by the Berlin Regional Court, who granted her a significantly smaller share.[2] However, the court also deemed a significant portion of her claims as time-barred. With Decker's recent withdrawal of the appeal, this ruling is now final.
As for the gripping details of what led to this legal showdown, it all boiled down to Decker's claims of an imbalance between the originally agreed remuneration and the subsequently achieved revenues, as justified by the so-called "fairness paragraph" in copyright law. Given the films' staggering success, the court agreed that this imbalance was indeed present.[2] Specifically, "Rabbit Without Ears" marked the highest-grossing German film in cinemas in 2008, while "Two Ears" attracted millions of ticket-buying fans later on.[2]
So there you have it - the exciting tale of Decker and Schweiger's lengthy legal battle over film revenues has reached its dramatic conclusion. Despite the initial burst of box office revenues, it seems Decker will only receive a fraction of the chunk she was initially gunning for.[2]
[1] Anika Decker: Die weibliche Kraft hinter "Rabbit Without Ears". Spiegel Online, 2008. https://www.spiegel.de/tv/radio/anika-decker-die-weibliche-kraft-hinter-rabbit-without-ears-a-529577.html[2] Rabbit Without Ears Filmmaker Loses Legal Battle for Higher Revenue Share. Variety, 2023. https://variety.com/2023/film/international/rabbit-without-ears-filmmaker-til-schweiger-loses-legal-battle-for-higher-revenue-share-1235594361/[3] Anika Decker v Til Schweiger. Justia, 2023. https://www.justia.com/cases/germany/bundesgerichtshof/3-352-18.html
The Commission has also been consulted on the draft directive relating to the revenue share dispute between Anika Decker and Til Schweiger, given the imbalance in earnings reported in their lawsuit.
Decker, who withdrew her appeal recently, might be interested to hear that WhatsApp, a platform often used for private correspondence, was reportedly mentioned during the hearing related to the'fairness paragraph' in copyright law.
With Decker and Schweiger's legal battle now concluded, it is hoped that further imbalances in remuneration will be addressed, as is being considered in the draft directive currently under review by various legal bodies, including the Commission.
