It’s always disappointing when a creator you respect jumps on the NFT train to try and make a few quick bucks. One of the latest is iconic director Quentin Tarantino, who recently announced plans to cash in on Pulp Fiction by auctioning off seven “exclusive scenes” from the movie in the form of non-fungible tokens.
Tarantino unveiled his scheme at the NFT.NYC conference earlier this month, with his NFTs planned to be scanned digital copies of his handwritten original scripts with audio commentary. Now, I’m not exactly opposed to scamming gullible crypto dorks, but the ridiculous environmental impact of NFTs really can’t be understated.
But that might be academic, as Miramax has just sued Tarantino to stop the auction going ahead. In a 22 page complaint filed by Miramax lawyers they claim:
“Tarantino’s conduct has forced Miramax to bring this lawsuit against a valued collaborator in order to enforce, preserve, and protect its contractual and intellectual property rights relating to one of Miramax’s most iconic and valuable film properties.”
Their position is that Tarantino’s auction is giving the impression this is authorized by Miramax, and they apparently have their own ambitions to enter the NFT market:
“Left unchecked, Tarantino’s conduct could mislead others into believing Miramax is involved in his venture and it could also mislead others into believing they have the rights to pursue similar deals or offerings, when in fact Miramax holds the rights needed to develop, market, and sell NFTs relating to its deep film library.”
Tarantino’s lawyers disagree, saying that “Tarantino was acting within his ‘Reserved Rights,’ specifically the right to ‘screenplay publication’ with the NFT plan”.
With the two parties at loggerheads and with no signs of backing down, this may well end up in court, proving an interesting test case for future NFT disputes between creators and major studios.
Here’s hoping the NFT fad ends soon, though with corporations climbing aboard, it seems the ship will continue to sail on for some time yet. If there’s more information on Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction NFT plans, we’ll let you know.