ABC is still all-in on moving forward with a second "Roseanne" reboot -- this one revolving around Sara Gilbert's character -- but there's a major issue to resolve ... ownership.
Sources close to the production tell TMZ ... because Roseanne Barr created the show with the original executive producers, she has a financial stake in it and its characters. It's unclear which specific ones she created, but we're told the network is doing its due diligence to avoid a lawsuit.
It's very possible, we're told, that Roseanne could put her foot down and say there will be no revamped reboot unless she gets a piece of the pie. However, if she's making dough off the new version, it defeats the purpose of canceling the show after her racist comment.
We broke the story ... ABC execs kicked negotiations into high gear earlier this week in hopes of announcing the new show ASAP, but now we know -- there's more work to do.