Novelist Gives Away Movie Rights

Jonathan Lethem is giving away the film option and, eventually, all ancillary rights to his new novel, "You Don't Love Me Yet," publicly grappling with issues of intellectual property and copyright law. "What I'm seeking to explore is that incredibly fertile middle ground where people control some rights," he says, "and yet contribute to a healthy public domain."

Lethem's website announced that, between the book's publication on March 13 and May 15, he'll be accepting proposals from filmmakers. The winner will receive the film option, but must release the story and characters into the public domain, allowing other artists to use them in any medium they choose: another book, another movie, a play, a opera, etc. (More Jonathan Lethem stories.)