[Air-L] writers striking for internet payment?

[Tuszynski, Stephanie]

Marcela -

As a writer/director myself, I've been following the WGA strike very closely. 

Screenwriters are compensated at the rate of one-third of a penny for every digital download (i.e. iTunes), and nothing for streaming video.  The networks are claiming when they stream a television show on their websites it's a "promotion" and therefore the current contract doesn't require them to pay the writers/actors/etc. The television writers feel they are not being fairly compensated. Neither are the actors or directors, for that matter.

This is only one of the issues at stake, however. Residuals for DVD sales (which are currently at $.04 per disc) and other terms of the contract which expired in October are also on the table. 

I don't really see how the EFF would have any interest in this, as this is a business practice issue, not a legal one. There's no law requiring the AMPTP to pay anyone any specific rate for digital content. There's no question of access or legal activity, just corporations behaving badly because they think they can. 

I can tell you that the SEIU, the teamsters local in LA and both the Screen Actor's Guild and Director's Guilds are all supporting the WGA. The actors and directors have as much a stake in this as the writers, obviously. 

A completely partisan site on behalf of the WGA is www.unitedhollywood.com 

Also, for those of you who heard about the strike and like me immediately thought of all the craftspeople and below the line crew who are now out of work while the strike goes on, The Motion Picture & Television Fund has set up a Work Stoppage relief fund to help those people. You can donate online here:

http://new.mptvfund.org/cm/Foundation/Donate%20Online.html


Stephanie Tuszynski
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Theatre and Film
University of Toledo
www.dlfilms.com


Message: 1
Date: Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:58:38 -0500
From: "Marcela Musgrove" <mmusgrove at gmail.com>
Subject: [Air-L] writers striking for internet payment?
To: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
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	<a000d0c60712311758v70bc62b9t5bafe3eb197c9041 at mail.gmail.com>
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I hadn't really been paying attention to the writer's strike going on but
just found out today that it's over writers wanting to be paid residuals
when their TV shows are shown on the internet. So now I'm surprised that
there hasn't been more online discussion/activism/petitions though I was
able to see some videos on YouTube that explained what was going on. Has
anyone been following this closely?  Would this be relevant to EFF or any of
the other advocacy groups?

Happy new year!

Marcela