Library Ownership and Property Rights
Today, the Embassy corporation, its divisions and film & television holdings, are split.
The underlying rights to a majority of the Embassy library are currently held by French production company StudioCanal, with individual media rights leased to other companies.
The theatrical rights to the Embassy film library (with the few exceptions noted in the next paragraph) are managed by either Stuart Lisell Films or Rialto Pictures, depending on the individual re-issue rights. Home entertainment rights (DVD, Blu-Ray) are at the hands of MGM with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment handling distribution for MGM. Other home video reissues (depending on certain titles) are owned by Image Entertainment (through The Criterion Collection), Lionsgate Home Entertainment, and Anchor Bay Entertainment, all via separate output deals.
MGM owns A Chorus Line outright due to co-producer PolyGram Filmed Entertainment's holdings being incorporated into MGM's library, the film itself now under copyright by in-name-only division Orion Pictures.
As to the theatrical library for select titles, Columbia originally owned television rights to The Carpetbaggers and Nevada Smith, while Paramount owned all other rights (Trifecta Entertainment & Media now handles TV rights to the two films on behalf of Paramount). Columbia also originally handled television distribution of Blade Runner before WB took back full rights; ironically WB now also owns Watership Down and Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas In July, while the aforementioned Embassy-distributed ITC films are now the responsibility of ITV Global Entertainment Ltd.
Sony owns Crimewave and Saving Grace (both co-produced by Embassy Pictures) the television rights to Embassy's entire film output, the television output outright by virtue of Sony Pictures Television acquiring the Embassy television division, and the Embassy logo, names, and trademarks through its subsidiary ELP Communications.
Read more about this topic: Embassy Pictures
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