Our partners' identities are not disclosed when they download scripts to allow them the freedom to choose whether or not to engage with a writer. There are many reasons a partner may choose to pass or to move forward and more often than not they do not have the capacity to provide feedback on their reasons why they pass, which could include already having something else on their slate that is similar to your script. This process is not unlike that of The Black List, which also allows industry downloads.
All companies and individuals are thoroughly reviewed and vetted before being granted access to our Industry Partners dashboard. All users are established industry professionals adhering to standard industry practices in addition to agreeing to the Coverfly terms and conditions of use. The Coverfly Writer Development Team also communicates with industry users on a daily basis.
Per our Terms of Service, the writer retains all rights to their scripts including when downloaded by our Industry Partners. Additionally, all activity is recorded with a timestamp and digital paper trail, which is designed to protect you, the intellectual property rights holder, should there ever be an issue.
It’s understandable that you want to keep track of who is reading your script, but that is a nearly impossible task in the industry. Many shows and movies that get made are discovered by someone who was sent a script, decided it wasn’t for them, but passed it along to someone they knew was looking for something like that. The writer, or manager or agent if they’re repped, aren’t told who has their script unless the executive chooses to make the initial contact.
It’s also not uncommon to submit a script or query someone who is already familiar with your work. Having work shared from multiple sources is often what prompts an exec to reach out. So there is no need to worry about sending your work out to someone who may have already downloaded it through our platform, unbeknownst to you.