Errors & Omissions is a type of liability insurance for filmakers. It protects filmmakers from bearing the full costs associated with "lawsuits pertaining to theft of idea, copyright infringement, libel, slander, invasion of privacy, defamation, product disparagement, trade libel, infliction of emotional distress, right of publicity, outrage and outrageous conduct, false light, wrongful entry, false arrest or malicious prosecution" (International Documentary Association, 2012). Most distributors require errors & omissions insurance for distributing films.
On the aspect of copyright compliance, insurance companies generally ask for documents of releases and licences to demonstrate copyright compliance for the use of copyrighted works in a film. A legal opinion from a lawyer is likely required to apply for errors and omissions if a filmmaker chooses to rely on fair dealing and/or use public domain resources (International Documentary Association, 2012). This is an important issue to consider for copyright and film making. Obtaining an attorney to help with the legal paperwork and processes is a often necessity for professional film makers.
