You need writers for THAT?

[Uncle Cracker]

But, that is exactly how it works. And new markets don't emerge that often. I think the writers' union would be doing a disservice to its members if it didn't insist on part of the profits from a new income stream.

That's going to be a tough sell. Does the union go collect money from its members if the producers lose their shirts? I don't think so. Can't have it both ways, and regardless, contracts are just that... contracts. Imagine your boss' reaction if you tell him that, although you're not a stockholder, you want your cut because he opened a new office or distributorship or whatever. What you propose is like paying your screwdriver because you found a new screw...

[cgallery]

That's going to be a tough sell. Does the union go collect money from its members if the producers lose their shirts? I don't think so. Can't have it both ways, and regardless, contracts are just that... contracts. Imagine your boss' reaction if you tell him that, although you're not a stockholder, you want your cut because he opened a new office or distributorship or whatever. What you propose is like paying your screwdriver because you found a new screw...

The issues they're at odds with is that the union wants an _increase_ in compensation for DVD sales (they already get _some_ money, they want _more_ money), and new fees for content distributed via the Internet. Again, nothing new or ground-breaking or earth-shattering.

I think a better analogy than yours is software. I buy a single copy of Windows XP. Costs $100. I install it on fifty machines. Now, you know what BDB (Billion Dollar Bill) is gonna say about that. They had no additional costs just because I installed it on more machines. But because I profit from its use, Microsoft insists I pay them something.

This is no different.

Kinda the basis of intellectual property.

[Uncle Cracker]

This is no different.

Oh, but it is. The term "intellectual property" is painted with a broad brush. To use your Microsoft analogy, the distinction here is that multiple software installations without permission amount to illegal duplication (copyright infringement), and are harmful to the publisher (i.e. Bill Gates), not to any of the 10,000 geeks who wrote the code. The software publisher is the owner and licenser of the product, not his employees, and in the case of the comedy writers, the networks/studios/production companies, et al. are the owners and licensers, not their employees. Illegal duplication is not the issue here, but another one entirely. Bill Gates does not have to compensate some guy working in the bowels of his palace every time he sells his product to somebody new, and he has about 70 billion pictures of George Washington to prove it. (Now the monopolization and restraint of free trade issue is another story for another day... )

[cgallery]

Oh, but it is. The term "intellectual property" is painted with a broad brush. To use your Microsoft analogy, the distinction here is that multiple software installations without permission amount to illegal duplication (copyright infringement), and are harmful to the publisher (i.e. Bill Gates), not to any of the 10,000 geeks who wrote the code. The software publisher is the owner and licenser of the product, not his employees, and in the case of the comedy writers, the networks/studios/production companies, et al. are the owners and licensers, not their employees. Illegal duplication is not the issue here, but another one entirely. Bill Gates does not have to compensate some guy working in the bowels of his palace every time he sells his product to somebody new, and he has about 70 billion pictures of George Washington to prove it. (Now the monopolization and restraint of free trade issue is another story for another day... )

Microsoft paid creative tallent w/ stock options, resulting in 10,000+ millionaires among its ranks by 2000. So no, he (Bill) didn't share on an absolute percentage basis, but the developers shared richly in the company's successes.

[JR]

. To use your Microsoft analogy, the distinction here is that multiple software installations without permission amount to illegal duplication (copyright infringement), and are harmful to the publisher (i.e. Bill Gates), not to any of the 10,000 geeks who wrote the code.

It might be that if those 10,000 geeks were unionized they could bargain collectively to gain that advantage. I understand some game coders have contracts more like what the WGA is asking for.

UC, I agree that nobody owes the writers anything. OTOH, if their position as an organized group results in an agreement that their members are owed a portion of the profits, then the free market has done it's job.

JR

[jhart]

If they keep adding to the amount of commercials shown in most of the stuff these days, they won't have to write anything for the shows, just show the commercials for the whole time. They're fast approaching it.

[LarryG]

If they keep adding to the amount of commercials shown in most of the stuff these days, they won't have to write anything for the shows, just show the commercials for the whole time. They're fast approaching it.

While I share your aggravation, I was surprised to learn recently that it's not quite as bad as it seems.

A couple years ago, I bought the sci-fi series Firefly on DVD. Each "one hour" episode runs about 43 minutes long. About two months ago, I bought the classic martial-arts Western Kung Fu series on DVD. With these, each episode nets out at about 49 minutes. The two series were produced some 30 years apart. So, they've added six more minutes of commercials over three decades. Granted, that's a tenth of an hour, hardly an insignificant amount -- but I'd have bet large money it was much, much worse than that.

What chaps my backside are the increasingly-intrusive graphics and promos that pop up while you're trying to watch the blippin' show -- especially the ones that tell you the name of the show that's currently on (what, I'm too stupid to know what I've been watching for the last 20 minutes?!?). But I guess that's part of being an old fart living in a video-game/MTV-paced world.

[lkazista]

The issues that the writers are striking over are fair more complicated than anyone here has pointed out. Most of the issues will come to a head again this summer when the Actors Guild also seeks similair compensation.

All of the 'Microsoft" comparisions are apples to oranges. A better comparision would be if you bought a Microsoft product in the store, Bill Gates would get paid he fair share, if you downloaded from the internet, he would get almost nothing.


Nobody forces a studio to buy a script from a certain writer. Compare it to the music industry, back when Napster was in full swing. People were enjoying music and the artist was losing their income. Now obviously that didnt have much effect on someone like Bob Dylan, but it did effect many recording artists that only have lets say one or two hits. The vast majority of music that you enjoy is not from a band that has survived 30 years in the recording industry, it is from someone you had never heard of before.

When "New Media" comes along, the Studios ALWAYS go to the unions and demand lower rates to pay the employees that they NEED to produce their show. HBO is a prime example, when Sopranos and Sex and the CITY started, HBO claimed that they could NEVER compete with the big networks, they had a limited audience base, and would probaly NEVER turn a profit. As a result the Unions agreed to provide workers on these shows for "below scale" (that is below the basic hourly rate generally guarrented to them for being a union member). Imagine you are a plumber making $25 an hour, but now you only get $17.50 for doing the SAME job.

Well, everybody knows that Sopranos and Sex can be seen on "Regular" TV these days, and HBO has the largest profits of any network in 2006. But that "below contract" still exists, because HBO is forcing the unions to stand by it. As Union Members we MUST stand by the contract, even if the studio lied to get it.

Without writers the Studios would be nothing but a parking lot with a bunch of number wise suits sitting around. There would be nothing to do, without Actors to read the lines, the Studios would be publishers.

I don't agree with the stike, but I do agree with what they "NEED" to survive and protect themselves. Strikes are meant to be used as a last resort, the writers contract expired 4 days before they went out to picket.

I hope some of this rant helped to clear up some of the "issue" without creating more confusion.

Best,

Lee
Working Union member of Feature Film and TV Since 1995

[cgallery]

All of the 'Microsoft" comparisions are apples to oranges. A better comparision would be if you bought a Microsoft product in the store, Bill Gates would get paid he fair share, if you downloaded from the internet, he would get almost nothing.

That is how it works. Bill doesn't like it.