Unions seek video iPod residuals

Hollywood insiders say the DVD model for compensation isn't fair to them when TV shows can be downloaded online.

The story "Unions seek video iPod residuals" published October 17, 2005 at 4:55 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Earl Benser]

It could be fair....

.... at $1.99 per episode, take 10% of 20% ( or $.04 per episode)
and let the unions, et. al., divide it up.

Otherwise, they're just getting greedy.

[m.meister]

Almost right..

Actually 10-20% is more like $0.20-$0.40 per episode, not $0.04.

It doesn't sound like the unions are being unreasonable here. The
headline is misleading (as the concern is about getting paid for the
content they create, not applying a "tax of sorts" on the iPod
success).

The pay-per-view model sounds fair because that is basically what
it is.

[cjohn17]

Union Blight

Unions are only concerned about their chunk of change, not the
artists fair share. They will be the death of old Hollywood.

Because of union greed American labor is disastrously non-
competitive with the rest of the world. Fortunately, they is a
movement away from big labor unions.

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159707,00.html" target="_newWindow">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,159707,00.html</a>

<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://espellahumanzee.blogspot.com/" target="_newWindow">http://espellahumanzee.blogspot.com/</a>

[SteveBarry687]

Unions are not bad for workers

Of course you wouldn't know that since you watch Fox news, the most right wing news source on the face of the planet.

Unions only cause rich corporate types trouble, because they fight for the rights of workers. But, then again, why should workers have rights? They should only go to work and shut the hell up right?

Wrong.

[zaznet]

Pay them a lump sum...

I get paid by the hour. If the work I do has residual benefits to my employer I do not get extra for it.

The actors on hit TV shows continue to grab for more money to continue on those shows and are paid by the episode. They are lucky they get residuals and it should not be expected on all formats all the time.

These price models create too many middle men and drive up the costs to consumers. Some of it needs to be cut if they are going to deliver on the promise of instant access to media over the Internet.

[toots1033]

union

when union's uses hiring hall and that is how you get to go to work the old saying being black listed is true but where do you go for help because nlrb don't understand even if it is in black and white.

[missapple27]

They shouldn't have to worry

I doubt that people downloading TV shows from the iTunes
store to watch on their iPods will seriously affect the market for
buying TV shows on DVD. I downloaded Night Stalker just to try
it out and watched it on my computer. It cannot be burned to a
DVD (that I could figure out) and even if it could, the resolution
quality would not be anywhere near what you get when you buy
the show on DVD. People who want the high quality DVDs will
still buy them. The people who download TV shows to watch on
their iPods are like people who buy a newspaper. They want
something to watch on their way to work. Or maybe they missed
an episode and want to catch up.

[cjohn17]

Common Sense < Unions Greed

Though you speak from a point of common sense the unions are
not. They speak from greed.