Who has the rights?

[Dime3822]

Washington.

I'm about to write a screenplay where one of the characters will be loosely based on a real serial killer who is currently in prison (a mental hospital). Once this (real) person was convicted of the crime and their story became public, doesn't he loose control over exclusive rights? Is he no longer able to sue me as that would constitute profiting from a crime?

I,m not trying to rip anyone off and I could easily make up someone that isn't real -- but I would rather not do that if I don't have to.

 

[JustAPal00]

He doesn't have the rights to his story, he only has the rights to his side of the story! In otherwords you couldn't say you got the information straight from him or that he helped you write it!