Netflix may be on the outs with the Writers Guild, but has had better luck in its negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. The SAG-AFTRA National Board just approved resoundingly a new
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Netflix Must Pay Writers Residuals of $42 million
The Writers Guild has scored a $42 million arbitration award against Netflix for unpaid residuals.
The arbitration involved the Sandra Bullock feature Bird Box. The picture was released for…
Continue Reading Netflix Must Pay Writers Residuals of $42 millionNo Slam Dunk for Broadcasters as Streamers Bid for Live Sports
As the content industry moves inexorably toward a streaming model, linear broadcast and cable channels are looking increasingly to live sports to gain competitive advantage. In the past, streamers have…
Continue Reading No Slam Dunk for Broadcasters as Streamers Bid for Live SportsAnimation Guild, Studios Sing in Toon with New Deal
After coming perilously close to its first strike since 1945, the below-the-line union IATSE ratified an accord with producers in November, 2021. The new Basic and Videotape Agreements covered most…
Continue Reading Animation Guild, Studios Sing in Toon with New DealComic 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…
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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,…
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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…
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“Stranger Things”: Copyright Challenge to Popular Series Survives Motion to Dismiss
In response to a copyright claim that the Netflix series “Stranger Things” infringed the plaintiff’s unpublished screenplays, Netflix and the other defendants filed a Rule 12(b)(6) motion to dismiss, arguing…
Continue Reading “Stranger Things”: Copyright Challenge to Popular Series Survives Motion to Dismiss
Stories to Watch in 2021
Happy New Year to all. To kick off 2021, I’ve provided quick takes below on some of the bigger stories we’ll be watching
WME v. WGA
Just before Christmas, CAA…
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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…
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