Disney not paying authors royalties

[JLSigman]

This is one of the most fucked up things I've read in a while. Disney is basically saying that while they bought the rights to publish/republish older works, they didn't buy the rights to PAY THEM FOR THE WORK. Literally, "When the SFWA's lawyers contacted Disney on Foster and his lawyer's behalf, Disney told them it “had acquired the rights, but not the obligations”."

[J.T.]

I am not sure that ADF has much of a legal leg to stand on as far as A New Hope goes since he merely wrote the novelization for a movie that already had a pre-existing screenplay writing credit given to George Lucas and Lucas probably sold the rights without the obligations when Disney bought him out.

That and most of the licensed SW novels and comics produced since 1977 were recently rebranded as "legends" and declared non-canon in April of 2014.  There is no "canon" but the product that Disney / Lucasfilm creates for the screen or licenses to Marvel for graphic adaptation.

That being said, he has a better argument for receiving royalties from Splinter since planet Mimban has been used multiple times as a set piece in newer SW content.  I think Mimban was mentioned by name in Solo: A Star Wars Story and it was also used in one of the Kylo Ren tales that Marvel Comics did a while back.  Mimban is ADF's creation, so give the guy some credit and the cash to go along with it.

I hate to admit it but with the Mandalorian craze going on, the person who should really be rolling around in stacks of Benjamins right now is Karen Traviss.

Lucas should also be a tad pissed off.   Disney bought Lucasfilm from him for around $4 Billion and they recouped that money in only six years.   That is an amazing rate of return.  If I were George, I'd feel a bit cheated even though I'd also be filthy stinking rich.

Edited November 19, 2020 by J.T.

[tbarrie]

26 minutes ago, J.T. said:

I am not sure that ADF has much of a legal leg to stand on as far as A New Hope goes since he merely wrote the novelization for a movie that already had a pre-existing screenplay writing credit given to George Lucas and Lucas probably sold the rights without the obligations when Disney bought him out.

So would that mean Lucas still has to pay royalties for works Disney republishes?

26 minutes ago, J.T. said:

That and most of the licensed SW novels and comics produced since 1977 were recently rebranded as "legends" and declared non-canon in April of 2014.  There is no "canon" but the product that Disney / Lucasfilm creates for the screen or licenses to Marvel for graphic adaptation.

I don't see how canonicity is relevant here...

 

[J.T.]

29 minutes ago, tbarrie said:

So would that mean Lucas still has to pay royalties for works Disney republishes?

I don't see how canonicity is relevant here...

I assume that Lucas is free and clear since the rights are no longer his to manage and Disney has freed itself from the obligation of further royalties.

Canonicity is arguably relevant as it appears that Disney is using the WWE business model of owning all IP in perpetuity and segmenting it as "stuff we own and make money off of" and "stuff that references stuff we own but don't owe them jack shit."   

This is why WWE tends not to sign workers that refuse to allow WWE to trademark their working names.

The content that aligns under the "legends" scope might fall under a sphere where Disney is not obligated to pay royalties.  Disney controls the inner workings of the SWU just as WWE controls the inner workings of the WWEU.  Anything outside of that scope either didn't happen, never happened, or is grounds for an infringement suit from the owning company.

Everything is inside its own bubble universe these days.

I have no access to the contract, so I cannot really be sure of how complicated of a legal labyrinth this contract really is.

Edited November 19, 2020 by J.T.

[Raziel]

1 hour ago, J.T. said:

 

I hate to admit it but with the Mandalorian craze going on, the person who should really be rolling around in stacks of Benjamins right now is Karen Traviss.

 

Not unless Ahsoka shits her pants at the mere appearance of Boba Fett, they aren't using a whole lot of Traviss' bullshit.

[J.T.]

21 hours ago, Raziel said:

Not unless Ahsoka shits her pants at the mere appearance of Boba Fett, they aren't using a whole lot of Traviss' bullshit.

And God willing, they won't but I have to give Karen the credit for putting Mandalorians back on the map in the most general sense as I sheepishly have to give her props for reinforcing the idea that Mandalorians are total badasses.

They shouldn't be going toe to toe with Jedi or Sith, but they should be more than a match for just about anyone else.

Edited November 20, 2020 by J.T.

[OSJ]

ADF is one of the most stand-up guys to ever walk the face of the Earth. Pay the man.