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 the last two holdouts in signing a franchise agreement that
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The Pay or Play blog, published by Fox Rothschild LLP, covers legal issues related to sports, entertainment, and intellectual property. It addresses topics such as contract negotiations, talent representation, rights management, defamation and anti-SLAPP litigation, youth sports disputes, and emerging legislation affecting digital likeness and publicity rights. The blog also explores the roles of agents, managers, and attorneys in the careers of athletes and entertainers, as well as legal challenges arising from social media interactions and private organizational rules. It provides insights into the intersection of law and the business aspects of entertainment and sports industries.
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Progress in WGA-Agency Talks, but No Breakthrough Yet
By Jody Simon
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 commissions and strictly limit their ownership stake in production entities.…
WGA Scores Points in Agency Litigation
By Jody Simon
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 on the WGA’s pressure campaign to require agencies to sign…
AMC Throws Hail Mary to Lure Audiences with 15 Cent Tickets
By Jody Simon
In a bid to lure virus-wary audiences back into its theaters, AMC Theaters will be offering tickets priced at just 15 cents.
The promotion will be available at 100 of the chain’s theaters for one day only on August 20.…
Seventy Years Later, It’s Curtains for Paramount Decrees
By Jody Simon
Many of us will remember 2020 as the year that the theatrical exhibition business irrevocably changed. Our last blog covered the landmark agreement between Universal Pictures and AMC, the world’s largest theater chain, to reduce the theatrical exhibition window from…
VOD Goes Viral: Universal and AMC Upend Theatrical Release Model
By Jody Simon
These have been hard times for the movie theater business. Attendance peaked in 2002 at approximately 1.6 billion tickets sold. In 2019, that number had dropped by 25%, to around 1.2 billion. The proliferation of subscription streaming services is not…
UTA Ends WGA Packaging Dispute
By Jody Simon
UTA has just announced that it reached agreement with the Writers Guild to sign a franchise agreement that will permit it to resume representation of writers.
This will bring a partial end to a dispute that has lasted for…
Peace in Our Time: WGA Reaches Deal on New Basic Agreement
By Jody Simon
In a down to the wire bargaining session, the Writers Guild of America negotiating committee reached agreement with the studios on a new three-year deal. This was unanimously approved by the governing boards of the WGA West and East and…
Sherlock Holmes’s Sister Subject of Copyright Infringement Claim
By Jody Simon
A planned Netflix movie about Sherlock Holmes’s sister is the target of a lawsuit from the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of the legendary detective. The estate has asserted both copyright and trademark claims.
The estate will have…
Performers Union Cuts Deal With Studios
By Jody Simon
The performers union, SAG-AFTRA, has reached a deal with the studios for a new three-year contract covering theatrical, television and new media production. The proposal will still need to be approved by the national board and the membership before taking…