It is simply the nature of the distribution business. As the distributor, we control the rights. Usually our broadcast clients must license exclusive rights in their territories or for their satellite footprints, and they will only do business with program suppliers who control exclusive rights. The DVD labels we license to in other countries must control exclusive publishing and manufacturing rights in their territories as well.
Ultimately, it’s a small business. We all attend the same international program/content markets, and our buyers must be certain that when they screen a program at a market like MIPTV or MIPCOM or NATPE or DISCOP and negotiate to acquire rights, they won’t be offered the same program from another distributor in the next aisle at another price later that day or the next!
Therefore, producers should be extremely wary of “distributors” who offer them a “non-exclusive” distribution agreement.
