Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for what she claims is a breach of her contract to play the Black Widow character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie franchise. Just three months after Johansson signed an amendment to her contract to play the role, Disney’s then CEO announced on a conference call with Wall Street analysts…
While all Americans have the right to sell or license the rights to their NIL, college athletes forfeited this entitlement as part of the terms of signing scholarship contracts. However, this will no longer be the case. For college athletes, receiving compensation for the use of their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) is currently a…
How to handle your management relationship in an area with few formal rules and standards. Influencers have been disrupting the online advertising world for several years now, challenging traditional advertising methods and creatively leveraging their popularity for brand promotions. Since 2019 the influencer social media advertising space has skyrocketed, benefitting many influencers, but also allowing…
I’m often contacted by producers, writers, software designers/engineers and other creative professionals concerned about the provisions of a media or IP company’s employment agreement they are considering. Typically the company’s proposed employment offer letter or agreement and attached standard terms will aggressively provide that the company owns all of your creative work without making any…
Becoming a bona fide “influencer” is a little like becoming famous; it’s a fun and common goal, but it’s not usually something we just decide to do and it magically happens. It takes effort, strategy, and luck to build an online following large enough to draw the attention of brands hoping to ride the wake of your success and good…
AMPTP Strikes New Deals with Major Motion Picture & Television Union Groups In spite of the unique negotiating circumstances stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers has recently reached new agreements with each of The Directors Guild of America, The Writers Guild of America, and The Screen Actors Guild-American…
Streaming services overall tend to demonstrate a preference for animation over live-action productions, especially when it comes to children’s content, primarily because of lower production costs. Without production and sets, the cost difference is wide enough to appeal to streamers. Among shows for children, animation makes up about 62% of streaming service content, versus 32%…
During the final months of 2015 and first half of 2016, Netflix made a bold move by hiring Tara Flynn and Marcos Waltenberg, two employees who were both working at the executive level for Fox at the time. Both executive employees were in the middle of two-year contracts with Fox, and the contracts gave the…
As of March 31, the votes have been cast and counted, and the WGA (Writers Guild of America) has made an overwhelming decision. About 95% of online voters among the group’s 15,000 members have agreed to adopt tighter rules for talent agencies, which new ‘Code of Conduct’ rules will eliminate an agency’s ability to accept…
Could the fallout from Brexit influence film, television and motion picture production in the UK? To counter a potential downturn in filming-related revenues, the UK now offers tax credits to companies who choose the region as a shooting destination. But as it happens, Ireland offers an even more enticing tax incentive. In addition, Ireland’s attractive…