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Torts/Personal Injury,
Entertainment & Sports

Jul. 15, 2024

When docudrama disclaimers don’t go far enough

The cases of “When They See Us,” “Inventing Anna,” and “Baby Reindeer” highlight the challenges studios face in balancing entertainment and accuracy. The outcome of these cases will provide guidance on where to draw the line between an entertaining story based on a historical event and an unacceptably negative depiction of a real person.

Ericka DiMeglio

Associate, Irell & Manella LLP

Shutterstock

“Based on a true story.”

“This whole story is completely true. Except for all the parts that are totally made up.”

“The characters and events depicted in this program are fictitious. No depiction of actual persons or events is intended.”

“While the motion picture is inspired by actual events and persons, certain characters, incidents, locations, dialogue and names are fictionalized for...

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