keyleedaud (REAL ESTATE)

Another copyright case from the comics world, but one that has implications for people working in animation. Writer Gary Friedrich created Marvel's version of Ghost Rider . He sued Marvel claiming that it was created and offered to them and was not done as work for hire. He lost the suit. Previously, Friedrich commissioned artwork of the character which he sold at various comics conventions. Here's where it gets ugly: "As per the courts instructions Friedrich has to account for any and all money that he has received, “...relating to the gross and net amount derived from Plaintiffs' sale of goods bearing the Ghost Rider image, likeness, or Marvel trademark.” This means that Friedrich has to account for every cent each and every time he sold a print at a convention or any other item to anyone, that has the Ghost Rider image or name on it, and he has to account to all of the defendants in the case, and there’s quite a few of those, including, but not limited to...

This blog seems to be tipping more and more into the business, as opposed to the art, of animation, but it's hard to avoid when various media industries are conspiring against artists and the public. I reported earlier ( here and here ) that Pixar was implicated in an illegal "no poaching" agreement with other high tech firms, meaning that if a Pixar employee applied for a job at Lucasfilm or Apple, those companies would refuse to hire the Pixar employee. Pixar returned the favour by refusing to hire applicants from Lucasfilm or Apple. That violates anti-trust laws. The damage is that it prevents employees from changing jobs or earning higher pay elsewhere. The case is about to go to trial and the Department of Justice has released some evidence that you can read below. For instance, on page 3 you can read that Lori McAdam of Pixar wrote in an internal email: “I just got off the phone with Danielle Lambert [of Apple], and we agreed that effective now, we’ll follow ...

The character of Superman, created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, has a long and complicated legal history. Jerry Siegel's heirs have terminated their half of DC Comics' copyright of the character and are entitled to share in any revenues made since the copyright termination. Warner Bros, the owner of DC Comics, has not exactly cooperated. The Siegel heirs have been forced to sue, claiming that the revenue they are owed is being underestimated. That was the subject of the above trial. In the words of Daniel Best, who compiled those transcripts, "The argument was that DC Comics had undervalued Superman and licensed the rights to exploit the character in movies and television by dealing with their parent company, Warner Brothers. DC argued that it had always done the right thing, that the deals negotiated and that the payments received, going back to the Salkind era (the 1970/1980s Superman movies with Christopher Reeve) and extending through to the current deals, in...

UPDATED BELOW . If I knew how to block out this site on Jan. 18 in protest against SOPA and PIPA, two bills currently in the U.S. Congress that claim to be against internet piracy, I would do it. I am not in favour of piracy, though I have major issues with what media conglomerates have done to distort copyright laws world wide. The problem I have with these bills is that they are too vague and too broad. While they may become a U.S. law, it will affect internet users and site owners beyond U.S. borders. As a commenter on Boing Boing (dark for the day) said, in order to stop piracy, we're going to outlaw the sea. There is a lot of rhetoric on both sides of the issue, but I recommend this article in The Globe and Mail for a clear-eyed look at what the internet community is upset about. There is also this comment to the article, which talks about the lack of due process: "A website (of a corporation, individual, what-have-you) is considered guilty as soon as they are a...

Last summer, I helped a friend develop a course outline for an animation history course. In looking for a textbook, I found that there wasn't a single volume that seemed appropriate. When The World History of Animation by Stephen Cavalier was later published, I wondered if this book might be the solution. Unfortunately, it isn't. The book is a wide ranging history of animation. It starts with a short historical summary for different parts of the world before launching into a year by year history where particular films are singled out. The entries are wildly uneven, both in terms of the writing and the accompanying illustrations. One would think that the amount of space devoted to a film would be proportional to the film's importance, but there doesn't seem to be any relationship. Not all the films are represented by stills and here, too, the number or size of the stills bears no relation to the importance of the film. I don't think I can articulate the autho...

Turner Classic Movies will run We Learn About the Telephone (1965) early Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. Eastern time. This film contains animation designed and directed by John Hubley and features voice work by Mel Blanc. Michael Sporn has written about this film and if you don't want to get up early Saturday, you can see it at the Prelinger Archives .

I'm writing this post for the benefit of Sheridan animation students and grads, but it may prove useful to others. If you are not on salary or working under a contract and somebody asks you to produce some art or animation, here are the things you need to know in writing before you start work. How much will you be paid and what is the payment schedule? Are there royalties or other compensation you are entitled to in the future? What are the specifics of the work you are providing? What format are you delivering the work in? When is the work due? Then there is the question of rights. What exactly are you selling in exchange for the money? Are you selling the work outright? Are you selling the work only for a specific use? Are you selling the work for a limited amount of time? Is the sale for exclusive or non-exclusive rights to use the work? Will the artist get screen credit or be allowed to sign the work? If the client provides this information in a written document, you have the ...