- The planned Pulp Fiction NFT auction could be in trouble after Miramax stepped in to stop it
- The auction is being spearheaded by director Quentin Tarantino based on his original screenplay
- Miramax says it owns the rights to Pulp Fiction and plans to launch its own line of NFTs
Quentin Tarantino has been ordered to stop a planned Pulp Fiction NFT auction by the film’s studio Miramax, who say they still own the rights. Miramax filed the lawsuit on Tuesday accusing Tarantino of copyright infringement by selling NFTs based on the Pulp Fiction screenplay which they say is their property. Tarantino announced the NFT auction on November 2, stating that the NFTs represented “exclusive scenes from Pulp Fiction”, but Miramax has stepped in to halt the sale, sending the director a cease-and-desist letter.
Tarantino Planning “Secret” Pulp Fiction NFT Auction
Tarantino’s plan was to auction NFTs based on excerpts from Tarantino’s original handwritten script for Pulp fiction, accompanied by commentary from the acclaimed director. The NFTs are pitched as “secret”, with its contents only being viewable by the owner. According to the suit however Tarantino did not clear the idea of a Pulp Fiction NFT auction with Miramax beforehand, with the studio still owning the rights to the 1994 film.
As a result, Miramax’s attorneys have sent a cease-and-desist letter seeking to block the sale, stating that the auction has interfered with the studio’s own plans to enter the market for a Pulp Fiction NFT series. In a statement, Miramax attorney Bart Williams accused Tarantino’s team of a “deliberate, premeditated, short-term money grab” and chastised Tarantino for not discussing the concept with Miramax first:
This group chose to recklessly, greedily, and intentionally disregard the agreement that Quentin signed instead of following the clear legal and ethical approach of simply communicating with Miramax about his proposed ideas. This one-off effort devalues the NFT rights to Pulp Fiction, which Miramax intends to maximize through a strategic, comprehensive approach.
Miramax Claims it Owns Copyright
The suit is predicated on the suggestion that selling NFTs based on excerpts of a screenplay qualify as a ‘publication’ of the screenplay, with Miramax arguing that NFTs are a one-time sale rather than being equivalent to publication of a screenplay, and that therefore Miramax owns the NFT rights. Tarantino’s team feel the director is in the right however, and have pushed ahead with plans for their Pulp Fiction NFT auction regardless.
