If you are a Holocaust survivor or a rescuer, here is some advice on selling your life story, according to Diane Klein of the Kaye, Scholer law firm and Manuel Duran of Bet Tzedek Legal Services:
*Even if someone expresses interest in your tale, don’t sign anything or tell your story to that person in any detail until you check the individual’s “bona fides.”
If the person is a writer, check to see if he or she is a member of the Writer’s Guild. If the person is a producer, ask for information about other films he or she has produced.
*Do not make an agreement with any agent or producer who asks you to pay “front” money or to pay for expenses. No legitimate agent or producer will ask you to pay for anything.
*Do not sign anything until you have it reviewed by a lawyer. Make sure all agreements are in writing.
*Do not “tie up” the rights of your story for more than one or two years under any circumstances.
*Request approval over creative decisions and a role in creating the final product.
*Be aware that it is possible to get no-cost or low-cost legal advice, for example, from Bet Tzedek or Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts. Do not enter into any agreement with someone who tells you that you don’t need a lawyer.
*Before you sign any deal, negotiate an “exit strategy” in case the deal does not go the way you want — for example, if the producer assigns the agreement to someone with whom you would not want to do business or if a person to whom you have sold the rights does not do anything with them.