Main Aspects of an Animation Lawyer's Contractual Work

Introduction. In the animation industry, as in many other businesses, a wide range of different contracts is concluded. The peculiarity of contractual work in animation is that a significant part of it consists of contracts with the authors of content, and it is important for a lawyer to thoroughly understand the legal regime of such works in order to hedge risks when accumulating exclusive rights for an audiovisual work. Purpose. The purpose of the study is to compile and systematize scientific and practical material in the field of contractual work in the animation industry. The author intends to consider main types of contracts on the animation production process and the use of its results, to analyse the content of such contracts and to highlight common provisions for any type of such contracts, to formulate and systematize practical recommendations for contractual work in animation. Methodology. While conducting the present research, the authors used both general scientific and private law methods, such as: method of interpreting legal norms, formal legal method, method of comprehensive analysis of legislation and method of structural analysis. Results. As a result of the research the author presents practical recommendations on contractual work in animation industry: summary of theoretical and legislative material on the types of contracts, which would help animation lawyers to correctly choose the type of contract; practical examples and wordings of some important provisions, essential for the protection of authors' and users' rights; recommendations based on practical experience on contractual work in the animation industry. Conclusion. The study is of a practical and theoretical nature: the author, on the one hand, provides overview of the main types of contracts in the Russian intellectual property system, on the other hand, focuses on practical recommendations for contractual work at animation enterprises that allow to use the information in practical activities.