Writers guild on strike, see this movie to understand why

[gibsonlp]

It is actually pretty scary to realize we will soon be out of shows, however - they are right.

[winston]

This strike has the capacity to directly affect the bottom line of one of the corporations that I do business with. However as you could probably guess, my personal sympathies lay with the writers.

[incubus2432]

It is actually pretty scary to realize we will soon be out of shows

I'd rather the writers be on strike then my local garbage men.....now that's scary!

[phlemmy]

I don't have one tiny itsy bitsy teeny weenie shred of compassion or sympathy for the writers on strike. Not one ounce.

[winston]

I don't have one tiny itsy bitsy teeny weenie shred of compassion or sympathy for the writers on strike. Not one ounce.

I take it that you write your own copy or material, and therefore you are protected?

Let me first preface my comments by saying that I am not an expert on this matter. I only comment on what I believe is the case at hand.

Intellectual property rights and the payment of royalties to source are a bit strange in the sense that you have to specify how the product may be used and in what context. If you happen to miss an emerging or a certain known media form in the contract documents, you loose your grip on the royalties due your own material.

In the case of these writers they only get paid if the media that they and their employers intended it for is utilized. If another media format comes along it appears that the owner of those intellectual rights can make up or disregard any existing royalty rules as they see fit.

That's why my sympathies lay with the writers. Generally the bulk of their income is at risk of public acceptance. That problem is compounded by the fact that their base salaries are usually quite low.

Just my two cents based on discussions that I have had with members of the guild.

[phlemmy]

I don't have one tiny itsy bitsy teeny weenie shred of compassion or sympathy for the writers on strike. Not one ounce.

I take it that you write your own copy or material, and therefore you are protected?

Irrelevant.

That's why my sympathies lay with the writers. Generally the bulk of their income is at risk of public acceptance. That problem is compounded by the fact that their base salaries are usually quite low.

Whose fault is it that these people chose a career that has a low base salary and/or their income is at risk of public acceptance? It's like saying wait staff at a restaurant should strike for the same reasons. This is the career they chose. I guarantee they knew what they were getting in to.

[lyle_from_minneapolis]

Well, they also chose to join a union, Sean, to protect their interests. You write as if they're all lazy welfare mothers or something. No, I think they're just hard working Americans doing what they can to protect they're own work and families. I don't see why that makes them a target for ridicule and contempt.

[jps]

Intellectual property rights and the payment of royalties to source are a bit strange in the sense that you have to specify how the product may be used and in what context. If you happen to miss an emerging or a certain known media form in the contract documents, you loose your grip on the royalties due your own material.

From my understanding, if you "miss an emerging or a certain known media form in the contract documents" the work can not legally be used for those media. The contract would spell out where the work can be used, and if it used for other than what is specified, then it is being used illegally. If I sold a photograph to a client to be used in a product brochure, that client does not have the right to use it on a trade show display print, even though I did not specifically exclude that in the contract. Only what is included in the contract is legal, not anything implied or unimplied.

[winston]

"Only what is included in the contract is legal, not anything implied or unimplied"

That may in fact be the root of the problem from what I can understand of the situation. When the proforma that they use as a base for their contract was written many years ago it did not contemplate for example payment for use of the writers "source material" on the internet. The internet was in its infancy and had not been previously used in that manner. It appears that currently revenue from the internet for example is a source of revenue that the networks wish to shield from any type of payment to the writers and they have been doing so quite successfully.

Sean I was just pointing out that if you were at risk yourself in your own artistic endeavors you might have some empathy for the writers. It appears you do not, so that's fine by me. Whatever floats your boat.

[phlemmy]

Well, they also chose to join a union, Sean, to protect their interests. You write as if they're all lazy welfare mothers or something. No, I think they're just hard working Americans doing what they can to protect they're own work and families. I don't see why that makes them a target for ridicule and contempt.

If they chose to join a union then they deserve everything that they are losing.

[phlemmy]

Sean I was just pointing out that if you were at risk yourself in your own artistic endeavors you might have some empathy for the writers. It appears you do not, so that's fine by me. Whatever floats your boat.

I don't think I would ever in a million years try to make a living in a business as fickle as the entertainment business and certainly wouldn't work in a profession controlled by union laws. That's just asking for a buggering with no kissing.

As for my "artistic endeavors", they are a hobby.

[gibsonlp]

Sean: this is very simple, they didn't choose such a profession, the industry simply shifted and they were caught in between.

Writers are the heart and soul of every show, without writers - you have NO SHOWS, see what happens now when they are on strike, pretty soon the entire TV market is going to be based on re-runs.

This is their right to demand more money and the industry has every right to say no, everyone is playing by the rules. The strike simply demonstrates how important they are.

Does it seem fair to you that a writer that makes a good show that brings back millions and millions of $$$ to the producing company will get paid less than I do??? again - remember the that writer is the actual heart, soul (and brain) of the show, NOT the actors! every good line, every good move, every twist in the plot, every parallel plot, EVERYTHING is being ingeniously written by the writer(s).

Up until early 90's most shows were pretty simple where the actors were indeed the rulers, writing a script was fairly simple and shows were, well, pretty simple.
Then came the new type of shows, it wasn't really a new type - more of an upgrade to the entire line of existing shows, from comedies to horror shows. Checkout shows like Heroes, Lost, Prison break and even 24 - the plot makes 70% of the show, not the actors, not the special effects (to which we all already got used to).

So, a wrap up: The writers have every right to demand more, they also have every right to demand percentage in future media income, the studios have every right to say NO. The strike is legit and it demonstrates how important the writers are.

[sharkboy]

I'm going to generally stay out of the fray, but say that my leanings are toward the writers.

I have enjoyed Ze Frank's video blogs that have started again since the strike began. I think some viewer discretion is advised.

http://www.zefrank.com/zesblog/archives ... e_day.html
http://www.zefrank.com/zesblog/archives ... ike_2.html
http://www.zefrank.com/zesblog/archives ... ivacy.html

If you like these, you might enjoy his year of video blog archives "The Show" on his site- they are really great, and I don't normally like such things. If you don't, the investment isn't very high to find out.

[phlemmy]

Sean: this is very simple, they didn't choose such a profession, the industry simply shifted and they were caught in between.

^That makes no sense whatsoever. They didn't choose to become writers but a shift in the industry made them writers? What? These people are writers and chose to write for this industry.

Guess who's making out like a bandit right now? The unions! Unions are the scourge of this country. UAW? AFL/CIO? Scourges!

Every worker is at the mercy of his/her employer. You work at their discretion (at least it should be that way). If I was their supervisor, I'd have fired them all the minute they walked off the job. Sure, if you want better wages, negotiate for them. You walk out on your job, you're fired. THIS is very simple.

And god forbid we have to watch reruns for the rest of our lives. Oh no. Whatever will we do without quality tv programming?

Again, I've no sympathy for them or any one who chooses to strike instead of work.

[phlemmy]

So, a wrap up: The writers have every right to demand more, they also have every right to demand percentage in future media income, the studios have every right to say NO. The strike is legit and it demonstrates how important the writers are.

You were doing great until the last sentence.