[p2p-research] Fwd: enclosure of fcforum interviews ...

[Michel Bauwens]

for your info,

Carolina, do you know any lawyer in spain that could help Pierre and his
crew?

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Pierre Marcel Racine <isaac at isaacbcn.com>
Date: Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 2:40 AM
Subject: GRATIS?
To: michelsub2004 at gmail.com


Hi Michel,

I hope this mail finds you well. Just to refresh your memory: I interviewed
you in Barcelona during the Free Culture forum for the GRATIS documentary we
are developping. It was a great pleasure for us to meet you and we are
greatful for the time you allowed us.
Since we made that interview though, our project has taken a funny turn.  At
the end of November the producer surprisingly announced us that he had taken
the decision to continue developing the project without us. Funnywise we are
the authors of the project, the ones who brought it to him. During this
whole year we worked for free, succeeding to secure development money for
his production company to invest of that very project.

To make a long story short, his attitude, behaviour and posture are being
absolutely unethical. He is claiming rights to the project using an option
agreement we signed when it was time to apply for the grant money. We had
signed that agreement in good faith, for the good of the project, and in
order to get financing. But now he uses it as a legal device allowing him
veto over the project. His pretexts are that our vision and approach are too
radical. The fact is that for him it is no more than another business
venture and he cares less about creativity and innovation than securing his
investment. Apparently now that he has money to spend he no longer needs
us. Since that happened we have asked him to renounce to the project but he
refuses. We also asked him to renounce to the material we filmed at the Free
Culture Forum but he also refuses. This conclict puts us in an ackward
situation. We feel responsable towards you (and the other interviewees) as
we cannot fully assume the final use of these footage, now in his
posession.
After months of intents to negotiate a fair agreement based on common sense,
we have not yet found any positive result. We know that we have very little
chance to win the cause on a legal basis but we still wish to win it
symbolically. Our goal is to pressure that production company to free the
footage and interviews that we shot during the Free Culture Forum 2009 in
Barcelona so it can be released under a CC license and be made available to
the community. For us to be satisfied we want him to renounce to all
exclusive rights to that footage.
We have included the names and e.mail address of the producer and line
producer in the case you want to write a personal claim in defense of that
cause. (If you do send to them please cc to isaac at isaacbcn.com)

We would be also thankful if you can also let your community know about this
situation. So if anyone happens to hear from that company they shall adopt a
reciprocal attitude and refuse to collaborate with them.

The name of the production company is:
POLAR STAR FILMS (from Barcelona) http://www.polarstarfilms.com/
The producer is: Carles Brugueras
mailto:carles at polarstarfilms.com<carles at polarstarfilms.com>
The line producer is: Bettina walter
mailto:bettina at polarstarfilms.com<bettina at polarstarfilms.com>

Meanwhile this unfortunate situation unfolded we have engaged in the
process of redirecting the project, seeking new ways of making and producing
it.
We shall keep you updated.

Thank you again for your comprehension and collaboration.
Sincerely,

Pedro Ballesteros
Isaac Pierre Racine
mailto:isaac at isaacbcn.com <isaac at isaacbcn.com>
(34)609624424

Isaac (P.M.Racine)
HAro Botsanova
www.isaacbcn.com
(34)609624424








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