So, I’m getting good traction - some with submission release forms required and some without. Overall about 16 reads offers since January.
I’ve done a lot of research on them lately and the industry’’s completely split. It’s a damned if you do and damaged if you don’t scenario. If you sign - you sign away most of your litigation rights. (Saw that on numerous lawyer sites) if you don’t they don’t read it.
I know the producers, studios, and others have to protect themselves, but there are cut throats out there (just like all professions) some say a name company or producer wouldn’t steal, but they have. There are a lot of cases throughout the years.
What are your opinions about this.
On a side note: I was always skeptical about the part that says any desprenency will be handled by arbitration rather than litigation. Almost every lawyer said you want this as most have clauses about not being able to recoup court cost - a big production company will kill you financially with there legal teams. In arbitration - you usually get WGA minimum 25K - Not me talking - lawyers.

If you’ve gotten 16 reads already without having to sign a submission release then that’s awesome. Great work. I’d say if nothing comes of that then submission release might be an option. What have you got to lose? At least that’s my thinking. But you sound ahead of the game already.

Is this a feature?

*** edit

Okay, I misread. Some with submission forms, some without. Okay. Like I mentioned earlier, it's a chance you take. I remember reading some sent my way and I was like, okay, this is pretty much a license for you to steal my work, or parts of it -- scenes, dialogue, etc. I've only done a few of them. The way I see it, or saw it, is that I'm getting my work out there where it needs to be. When you're an "up and comer" you don't have many options really.

I'm with Steven on this one.  I wouldn't fret it. Any production company with a brain is going to have these conditions in their releases. I probably wouldn't think much of them if they didn't.

It is really a damned if you do and damned (not necessarily damaged) if you don't type of situation.  

Now, just how many people are writing and submitting scripts every day.  Oodles and oodles.  What if they don't choose yours and they choose one by someone else, and that someone else has a situation or perhaps even some dialog that is even close to yours.  It doesn't mean they stole it, but that it just happened.  They have to protect themselves, as lawsuits could possibly pile up to the ceiling.  The ugly part would come if they so blatantly ripped off your script that it wasn't funny.  I imagine if it was so egregious, papers or no papers, you'd find a lawyer willing to take it on.

Seems like it's just one of those, you have to hold your nose and jump situations.

I also think it might be some sort of a scare tactic, in a sense. Meaning, this guy/gal will never send me their script now! Boohahah! Or, maybe...

This guy was desperate enough to sign one of these, let’s see what he’s got. Or...

Hey, we’re actively reading scripts! Send it on over. Oh yeah, just in case here’s a Submission Agreement so we can cover our ass in case you, the script writer, decide to sue our ass if you see something down the road that even remotely resembles your script.