The lawsuit brought by Scarlett Johansson against The Walt Disney Co. has struck Hollywood like a thunderclap. The litigation arises out of Disney’s decision to release Black Widow concurrently in
Continue Reading Scarlett Johansson Sues Disney over “Black Widow” Streaming Release
Comic Publishers No Heroes to Artists Seeking NFT Score
Copyright in characters is not a new concept but it can take interesting twists. We saw this recently when litigation over the Netflix movie Enola Holmes raised the question just
Continue Reading Comic Publishers No Heroes to Artists Seeking NFT Score
SAG-AFTRA Crafts Agreement for Influencers
While most of us look back on the last twelve months as a horrible dream, Hollywood’s labor unions can actually point to a string of successes. Early in the pandemic,
Continue Reading SAG-AFTRA Crafts Agreement for Influencers
Blessed Peace Descends Upon the Land as WME Settles with WGA
In what must be counted as a victory for solidarity among WGA members and the often controversial tactics of its executive director David Goodman, the leading agency WME reached a
Continue Reading Blessed Peace Descends Upon the Land as WME Settles with WGA
Follow up: Faizon Love, Universal Make Nice
We recently reported on a lawsuit that the actor Faizon Love brought in November against Universal Pictures. Love was one of the stars of the 2009 movie Couples Retreat,
Continue Reading Follow up: Faizon Love, Universal Make Nice
DOJ Keeps the Music Playing for ASCAP and BMI
On January 15th, the Department of Justice announced it has ended its two-year review of the 80-year old consent decrees that govern the operation of the largest music
Continue Reading DOJ Keeps the Music Playing for ASCAP and BMI
Universal Faces Racism Charges as Faizon Love Sues over “Couples Retreat” Poster
The 2009 Universal ensemble comedy Couples Retreat sparked controversy when its Black performers were erased from the film’s international marketing. That controversy has come back to life as the film’s
Continue Reading Universal Faces Racism Charges as Faizon Love Sues over “Couples Retreat” Poster
CAA, WME Head Back to Court in WGA Dispute
In my last blog, I expressed cautious optimism that the WGA was making progress in settling its long-running dispute with CAA and WME, the two largest talent agencies and
Continue Reading CAA, WME Head Back to Court in WGA Dispute
Progress in WGA-Agency Talks, but No Breakthrough Yet
In April, 2019 the WGA directed its members to fire their agents unless the agents agreed to adhere to a Code of Conduct that would end the collection of package
Continue Reading Progress in WGA-Agency Talks, but No Breakthrough Yet
WGA Scores Points in Agency Litigation
The battle between the Writers Guild of America and the major agencies has been waged on two fronts for over a year, with mixed results.
Attention recently has focused primarily
Continue Reading WGA Scores Points in Agency Litigation