Miramax Sues Quentin Tarantino to Stop Sale of ‘Pulp Fiction’ NFTs

Miramax has filed a lawsuit against director Quentin Tarantino over his plans to create and auction off a series of NFTs based on his film “Pulp Fiction.” The company alleges that Tarantino’s planned offerings violate the copyrights it holds to the director’s 1994 film, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles.

Tarantino recently announced plans to sell seven NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, which are digital works rendered unique and attached to a specific owner through cryptocurrency technology. Tarantino’s NFTs are scheduled to go on sale next month and include scanned digital copies of handwritten script pages for uncut versions of scenes from the film, with audio commentary and other elements. Each will also include “secret” aspects accessible only to the owner.

“Tarantino’s conduct has forced Miramax to bring this lawsuit against a valued collaborator in order to enforce, preserve, and protect its contractual and intellectual property rights relating to one of Miramax’s most iconic and valuable film properties,” the company said in the lawsuit. “Left unchecked, Tarantino’s conduct could mislead others into believing Miramax is involved in his venture. And it could also mislead others into believing they have the rights to pursue similar deals.”

According to the lawsuit, Tarantino’s attorneys responded to cease-and-desist letters from Miramax by saying the sales fall under the partial rights Tarantino held from the production, including the rights to screenplay publication. The lawsuit asks a judge to forbid sale of the NFTs and any similar violation of Miramax copyrights, and asks for Tarantino to pay its legal fees and any related costs.

“Pulp Fiction,” the 1994 film starring Samuel L. Jackson, Uma Thurman and John Travolta, took Tarantino from touted indie director to major filmmaking star and was one of several films he made with Miramax, which was then helmed by brothers Harvey and Bob Weinstein.