Jeff Dahmer's Letter to the Metropolitan Talent Agency
Do serial killers sign contracts with talent agencies?
This is a letter from Jeff Dahmer to the Metropolitan Talent Agency regarding a contract to use his likeness. Notice that it mentions the movie contract arrangement we wrote about earlier.
What does Jeff Dahmer mean by referring to publication and literary rights?
Literary agents network with editors to sell authors' books. They negotiate contracts to ensure the best possible publishing terms and license creative rights across formats and markets.'*
'When a publisher signs a book contract with an author, what exactly are they seeking/buying? It isn’t a blanket right to do what they please and when, but contracts specify as clearly as possible what rights are ‘granted’. In what form can they be used and where? How third-party references are quoted and prior permission required from the author/s and so on.
These and many other aspects of copyright and ‘grant of rights’ confuse most authors, not conversant with the legalese of such contracts and need a trust worthy ally to let them know what is alright and what needs further clarity.
About Metropolitan Talent Agency:
So, who’s Joel Gotler whose name is on Jeff's letter and the business card?
From Variety, dated April 23, 1993: Agent trio Renaissance men (variety.com)
From Variety, dated March 9, 1993: MTA reportedly is closing due to rift (variety.com)
In October 1991, MTA was formed when Gotler, a successful independent book rights agent/manager, joined the partners as a full partner and head of its motion picture department (Daily Variety, Oct. 3, 1991). Some sources said late yesterday that they thought Gotler may be planning to team up with his MTA associate Irv Schwartz.
Joel Gotler has since produced several films, including The Wolf of Wall Street.
Excellent piece. Of course this wouldn’t happen in real life. Someone accused of what they say Jeff did would likely be locked away in a Supermax.