ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENT

UNIONS

WGA--WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA


SAG--SCREEN ACTORS GUILD


AFTRA--AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TELEVISION AND RADIO ARTISTS


AEA--ACTOR'S EQUITY ASSOCIATION


DGA--DIRECTOR'S GUILD OF AMERICA


SSDC--SOCIETY OF STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREGRAPHERS


AFM--AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS


CLGA--COMPOSERS AND LYRICISTS GUILD OF AMERICA

 

*UNIONS NEGOTIATE SALARIES, BENEFITS and WORKING CONDITIONS

3-TIER COMPENSATION SYSTEM

1. UNION collectively bargains for minimum salary rate

time

piece of work

2. INDIVIDUALS negotiate compensation

salary

% of profits

3. UNION negotiates residual rights

 

BILLING

BILLING AS MANDATED BY UNION CONTRACTS

EXAMPLES:
1. SSDC--For the director of a Broadway play. The director must receive billing in all programs and houseboards on a separate line on which no other material may appear.
2. WGA--For the writer for a motion picture. Credit must appear on a separate card on which no other material appears except the source credit material.
3. DGA--For the director of a motion picture. Credit must appear on a separate card no less than 50% of the size of the title or of the largest credit accorded to any other person, whichever is larger.

Case: Marino v. WGA, East, Inc., Francis Ford Coppola, and Mario Puzo (9th Cir. 1993).

 

ANTI-TRUST

SHERMAN ACT:

Prohibits illegal price fixing

Prohibits conspiracies to monopolize

concerted action

overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy

specific intent to monopolize

Prohibits monopolization

defendant has monopoly power in the relevant market, or

there is a dangerous probability of achieving monopoly power,

and there is a specific intent to monopolize

 

Case: Broadcast Music, Inc. v. CBS (1979)

BMI and ASCAP issue "blanket licenses."

copyright holder>>>ASCAP/BMI>>>licensee (tv/radio station)

licensee>>>report/$>>>ASCAP/BMI>>>copyright holder

CBS claims this is illegal price fixing

Case: Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., v. ASCAP (2d Cir. 1980)