Miramax sues Quentin Tarantino over Pulp Fiction NFTs, accuses director of copyright infringement

Miramax filed a lawsuit Tuesday against director Quentin Tarantino over the director’s plans to create and auction off a series of NFTs based on his work on Pulp Fiction. The entertainment company alleges that Tarantino’s planned offerings violate the copyrights it holds to the director’s 1994 film, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles. Tarantino recently announced plans to sell seven NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are digital works rendered unique and attached to a specific owner through cryptocurrency technology. The NFTs to go on sale next month include scanned digital copies of handwritten script pages for uncut versions of scenes from the film, with audio commentary and other elements. Each will also include “secret” aspects accessible only to the owner. “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,” the company said in the lawsuit. “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.” An email seeking comment sent to a representative for Tarantino was not immediately returned. According to the lawsuit, Tarantino’s attorneys responded to cease-and-desist letters from Miramax by saying the sales fall under the partial rights Tarantino held from the production, including the rights to screenplay publication. The lawsuit asks a judge to forbid sale of the NFTs and any similar violation of Miramax copyrights, and asks for Tarantino to pay its legal fees and any related costs. Pulp Fiction, the 1994 film starring Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and John Travolta, took Tarantino from touted indie director to major filmmaking star. It was one of several films he made with Miramax, which was then helmed by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein.