Writers Guild sues talent agencies as conflict turns into nuclear issue

The accused named in the case are the main agencies: CAA, WME, UTA and ICM.

The Writers Guild of America said on Wednesday that it has filed a lawsuit against key talent agencies, turning a brewing conflict into a total war in which neither party is likely to compromise.

The lawsuit alleges that the packaging costs constitute a breach of fiduciary duty and illegal drawback under federal and state laws, including the California Unfair Competition Act.

The lawsuit does not concern the production of affiliation, another controversial subject at the heart of the dispute between writers and agencies. "We will go to the end," said Writers Guild's general counsel, Tony Segall, at a press conference.

The named defendants in the case are the main agencies, CAA, WME, UTA and ICM. The plaintiffs are the west and east branches of the guild and eight writers: Patti Carr, Ashley Gable, Barbara Hall, Deric Hughes, Chip Johannessen, Deirdre Mangan, David Simon and Meredith Stiehm.

"When the series was sold, CAA negotiated a packaging fee for itself, unknowingly, it was only six years and 134 episodes later that I learned it," said plaintiff Stiehm , creator of CBS & # 39; Case closed. Another applicant, Thread Creator, Simon, wrote on March 18 on his own website an essay titled "But I'm not a lawyer." I'm an agent "in which he described packing costs as" corrupt ".

"The plaintiffs will seek a judicial declaration stating that packaging costs are illegal and an injunction prohibiting talent agencies from entering into packaging contracts." The prosecution will also seek damages and the repayment of illegal profits. on behalf of writers who have been harmed by these practices in the past, said Segall, noting at the press conference that 8,500 writers had agents and that the "vast majority" had already separated of representation.

The stakes are nothing less than the key business model that underpins the higher echelons of the agency – especially packaging costs – and it now seems likely that the fundamental issues of film and television activity will be decided in a courtroom.

Meanwhile, the militarization of the WGA inevitably increases the likelihood that next year's triennial negotiations with studios and producers will culminate in a writers' strike. In addition, the recent statements by the Directors Guild and SAG-AFTRA suggest that the war on agents could also extend to these unions.

More soon.