Problem:
Mary Asher was a freshman student. As a result of advanced classes in high school, she entered college at age 17, and had the goal of becoming a free lance writer. During the first week of classes, she attended a meeting of the film society to see a presentation made by James Shifty who is the Vice President of Production at DreamWorks Pictures, Hollywood, California.
After the meeting, Mary approached Mr. Shifty and stated that "she had a synopsis of a story that she would like him to look at." Mary also stated that she hoped that her story would fund her last three years of college. Mr. Shifty responded by giving her his business card and telephone number. When Mary broke out in a big smile and gave him a wink, Mr. Shifty grabbed her hand, gave her a kiss on her cheek and stated, "Anything that you send, I will accept." The next day, without any additional conversation with Mr. Shifty, Mary mailed an envelope to his office in California. The envelope contained a two page synopsis of a story for a motion picture that she had written over the summer. She believed her story was a good one because it involved two scientists studying global warming who got trapped by melting ice while conducting experiments in the arctic. Mary never received a reply from Mr. Shifty.
About a year later, Mary was shocked to see previews for a new movie, produced by DreamWorks Pictures that was identical to her story on the scientists in the arctic. Immediately she called you. She knows that you are a student in Entertainment Law and she requested that you write her a report on the rules of law that would determine her rights to compensation.