Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy built their reputations with a relationship-driven, filmmaker-friendly approach — but that style might be at odds with the imperative to save money.
Category: st_news
UK performers say post-Brexit visa rules spell disaster
LONDON (AP) — Leading British actors including Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart and Julie Walters warned the government on Tuesday that the U.K. culture sector faces irreparable damage unless artists can tour the European Union without visas.Since Britain made its final split from the EU at the end of 2020, U.K. citizens can no longer live and work anywhere in the bloc. British artists now have to comply with differing rules in the 27 EU nations, negotiating visas for performers and permits for equipment.
‘THIS IS SPINAL TAP’ CREATORS SET UP LICENSING BODY TO EXCLUSIVELY MANAGE FILM’S RIGHTS
The creators of This Is Spinal Tap have set up a licensing body to exclusively manage the cult film’s rights.
Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, creators of the iconic mockumentary, have set up a wholly-owned entity to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.
Spinal Tap creators set up new licensing company following settlement of Vivendi dispute
The creators of ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ have announced that they will launch a new company on Friday to manage the licensing of the cult film and all rights related to it. The new business has been created following the conclusion of a long-running legal battle with Universal Music owner Vivendi.
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Set Up Licensing Body To Manage Exploitation Of Their Iconic Motion Picture
Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, creators of the iconic mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap”, have set up a wholly owned entity to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.
With effect from January 1, 2021, the much-beloved movie and all featured characters, trademarks and associated rights will be licensed via Authorized Spinal Tap LLC. Together, the four creators intend to ensure the film continues to be available for existing and future “Spinal Tap” fans for years to come.
Spinal Tap stars set up licensing company
Spinal Tap’s stars have set up a new company to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.
The move comes after Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean won a multi-million-dollar royalty fight after a three-year legal fight.
Read More: https://www.chortle.co.uk/other-news/2020/12/29/47566/spinal_tap_stars_set_up_licensing_company
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ creators set up licensing body to exclusively manage film’s rights
The creators of This Is Spinal Tap have set up a licensing body to exclusively manage the cult film’s rights.
Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, creators of the iconic mockumentary, have set up a wholly-owned entity to manage the licensing of the film and all rights related to it.
Dispute Settled Between ‘This is Spinal Tap’ Creators and Vivendi, StudioCanal
Good news has come for the creators of This is Spinal Tap on Friday, Sep 19 as they have reached a settlement with Vivendi media conglomerate and their film distribution division StudioCanal in a suit that was first filed in 2016. Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer released the cult film 36 years ago in 1984, and fans have been cranking it up to “11” ever since.
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ creators and StudioCanal settle rights dispute
The creators behind cult movie This Is Spinal Tap have settled a longstanding rights despite with StudioCanal.
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Royalties Fight With Vivendi
The creators of “This is Spinal Tap” and Vivendi SA’s Studiocanal have reached an agreement in their long-running dispute over allegedly unpaid profits from the 1984 cult classic.
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Fraud Lawsuit With Vivendi, StudioCanal
The creators of the film “This Is Spinal Tap,” including director Rob Reiner and stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, have settled a lawsuit with StudioCanal and its French parent company Vivendi on fraud accusations that the companies withheld money from the stars, according to documents obtained by TheWrap.
This Is Spinal Tap Creators Reach Settlement With StudioCanal in Fraud Lawsuit
This is Spinal Tap creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean have reached a settlement with Vivendi and its subsidiary StudioCanal after initially filing a lawsuit three and a half years ago that alleged the media conglomerate committed fraud and withheld revenue from them.
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Fraud Lawsuit With Vivendi and StudioCanal
The creators of the film “This Is Spinal Tap,” including director Rob Reiner and stars Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer, have settled a lawsuit with StudioCanal and its French parent company Vivendi on fraud accusations that the companies withheld money from the stars, according to documents obtained by TheWrap.
Read More: https://www.thewrap.com/this-is-spinal-tap-creators-settle-fraud-lawsuit-vivendi-studiocanal/
Spinal Tap Creators Reach Settlement With Vivendi in Fraud Lawsuit
This Is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean have reached a settlement with French media conglomerate Vivendi and its subsidiary StudioCanal, three years after they first filed a lawsuit alleging the company engaged in fraud and had withheld due revenues from the creators. According to The Hollywood Reporter, both sides are currently “restructuring the parties’ relationship and modifying contracts pertaining to the picture’s distribution.” THR also notes that the settlement discussions also included the rights to Spinal Tap, and financial compensation for the creators. Their original lawsuit sought $400 million in damages.
Read More: https://pitchfork.com/news/spinal-tap-creators-reach-settlement-with-vivendi-in-fraud-lawsuit/
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Creators Reach Settlement On Long-Running Court Battle Over Rights And Income
This is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest were singing Gimme Some Money on Friday. That’s after settling a long-running dispute over money derived from the film and merchandising related to the cult classic mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap.
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Reach Settlement With Distributors
LOS ANGELES (CN) — The creators of popular mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” reached a settlement with French companies and film studios they claimed robbed them of $400 million in commercial profits after the studios acquired rights to the 1984 cult classic, according to court documents filed Friday.
Read More: https://www.courthousenews.com/spinal-tap-creators-reach-settlement-with-distributors/
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Settle Rights Dispute With StudioCanal
This is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest have got a deal that could potentially revive the franchise. On Friday, attorneys for the group as well as Vivendi and its StudioCanal division told a California federal court that they had finally achieved settlement.
Read More: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/spinal-tap-creators-settle-rights-dispute-with-studiocanal
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators’ Lawsuit Heading Towards Trial
Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner, the creators of the iconic mockumentary film This is Spinal Tap, have announced that they expect to go to trial in the coming months in their lawsuit against StudioCanal.
Read more: https://bestclassicbands.com/spinal-tap-lawsuit-12-3-19/
SPINAL TAP’S UMG CASE MIGHT BE OVER, BUT VIVENDI IS NOT OFF THE HOOK YET
The creators of the iconic 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap – Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner – are preparing to head to trial with Vivendi-owned Canal Plus Group subsidiary StudioCanal in Los Angeles in the coming months.
Today’s news follows the four co-creators’ recent settlement with Universal Music Group (UMG) over a dispute regarding the film’s soundtrack recordings.
StudioCanal Fights to Retain ‘Spinal Tap’ in Counterclaims Against Creators
This Is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest may have recently settled with Universal Music Group, but that doesn’t quite mean that a potentially big copyright termination battle is finished. On Monday, Vivendi’s StudioCanal unit filed counterclaims against the creators of the 1984 cult film in a bid to have a California federal judge declare it to be a “work made for hire.”
This Is Spinal Tap at 35: the faux-rockers reunite at Tribeca film festival
As Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer stood on the stage of New York’s Beacon Theater, basking in waves of deafening applause from their rabid sold-out crowd, one might have forgotten that their masterpiece began as a failure.
Spinal Tap Rocks, Rolls and Delights at Tribeca 35th Anniversary Screening
Fans of the legendary British rock outfit Spinal Tap were given a rare treat Saturday night as the band’s core trio reunited for a rare acoustic performance following the Tribeca Film Festival’s 35th anniversary screening of the landmark documentary “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Read more: https://variety.com/2019/film/news/this-is-spinal-tap-tribeca-rob-reiner-1203199697/
35 YEARS LATER, THIS IS SPINAL TAP STILL ROCKS HARDER THAN EVER
On March 2, 1984, the world was blessed by the hilarious mocku-rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap (Certified Fresh at 95%). Utilizing largely improvisational dialogue, director Rob Reiner and writers and cast members Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean created a brilliant documentary about one of the world’s worst fake rock bands.
Classic Film Review: Rob Reiner’s This Is Spinal Tap Has Always Proven the Answer Is “None More Biopic”
This is Spinal Tap is hilarious to everyone who’s not a musician. Because for as ridiculous and perverse as Rob Reiner’s heavy metal mockumentary gets, the slim, 82-minute comedy gnaws at more truths than any other rock ‘n’ roll biopic ever put to celluloid.
Read more: https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/03/classic-film-review-this-is-spinal-tap/
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ at 35
“This Is Spinal Tap,” the heavy metal mockumentary about one of England’s loudest bands, turns 35 this year. The 1984 satire parodies early metal bands and the rock music industry in general.
Read more: https://www.pri.org/stories/2019-02-28/spinal-tap-35
‘Spinal Tap’ turns 35: 11 ways the world literally turned the film love to 11
“This Is Spinal Tap” turns 35 on March 2. That’s one more year, innit?
Director Rob Reiner’s 1984 mockumentary highlighting the loudest band in the world — Spinal Tap’s Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) — has seen decades of love and been enshrined in the Library of Congress historic film registry since 2003.
Read more: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2019/02/28/spinal-tap-35-love-these-go-to-11/3011159002/
FIA warmly welcomes the Council of Europe recognition of bargaining rights of self-employed workers
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe issued a decision in December that constitutes an important recognition of the collective labour rights of self-employed persons, clearly recognising that their fundamental right to collective bargaining may not be restricted simply by virtue of their employment status.
The AMLC Takes Another Big Step Towards Implementing the Music Modernization Act
President Trump may have signed the Music Modernization Act (MMA) into law. But he’s also throwing a gigantic monkey wrench into process required to transform the MMA into reality.
Harry Shearer’s This Is Spinal Tap Lawsuit Is Moving Forward
As it exists in pop culture, Spinal Tap is a strange entity. The band is fictional, created for the Rob Reiner-directed mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, but their existence has continued well beyond that initial film (they are even technically a real group in The Simpsons universe). Unfortunately, it’s also been a subject of controversy for nearly two years now thanks to an on-going lawsuit that was filed in 2016 actor Harry Shearer – and this week saw a major move forward as it was ruled that the case has credence and will continue.
Vivendi loses motion to dismiss $400m Spinal Tap suit
The creators of Spinal Tap were told yesterday (29 August) they can pursue a $400m lawsuit against French conglomerate Vivendi.
Judge Rules “This Is Spinal Tap” Case Can Proceed
LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — A ruling on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Dolly cleared the way for a lawsuit brought by the creators of the semi-fictional band against Vivendi to proceed.
Read more: https://celebrityaccess.com/2018/08/30/judge-rules-this-is-spinal-tap-case-can-proceed/
Studios Can’t Duck Suit Over ‘Spinal Tap’ Royalties
LOS ANGELES (CN) – A federal judge on Tuesday advanced the bulk of claims brought by the creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” over profits from the 1984 cult film.
Read more: https://www.courthousenews.com/studios-cant-duck-suit-over-spinal-tap-royalties/
Creators of cult rock movie This is Spinal Tap score legal win in £308m battle over profits
Actor Harry Shearer and three co-creators of the comedy claim they missed out on royalties due to ‘fuzzy’ accounting by studio Vivendi, and have defeated a bid to have their case thrown out with a judge in Los Angeles allowing the lawsuit to continue.
Judge turns up Spinal Tap lawsuit, clears band to sue merch companies for fraud
It’s been two years since Harry Shearer filed a $125 million lawsuit against entertainment groups Vivendi and StudioCanal, saying he’s received only $81 in merchandising income from Spinal Tap’s enduring array of albums, tours, swag, and home video sales. In 2017, Shearer’s lawsuit brought on fellow bandmates Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, as well as Rob Reiner, the director of the original film, upping the damages sought to $400 million. The suit alleges, among many infractions, breach of contract and fraud by concealment and misrepresentation. We also assume it contains the lyrics of “Gimme Some Money.”
Read more: https://news.avclub.com/judge-turns-up-spinal-tap-lawsuit-clears-band-to-sue-m-1828684295
‘Spinal Tap’ Creators Will Get Their Day In Court —With $400 Million In Fraud Claims
The creators of This Is Spinal Tap say they’ve been stiffed for decades, with Universal Music Group among those blamed. Now, a judge has given the okay for the case to proceed after denying a motion to dismiss from the defendants in the case.
Read more: https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2018/08/29/spinal-tap-fraud-vivendi/
‘Spinal Tap’ co-creators get OK to pursue $400M fraud case against Vivendi
The creators of the 1984 comedy film “This Is Spinal Tap” earned a major victory in a California court on Tuesday, after a federal judge allowed Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest to pursue a fraud claim against media conglomerate Vivendi.
‘Spinal Tap’ creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S. lawsuit
(Reuters) – A U.S. judge said the creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” may pursue the fraud claim underlying their $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi SA over the 1984 cult film.
‘Spinal Tap’ creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S. lawsuit
(Reuters) – A U.S. judge said the creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” may pursue the fraud claim underlying their $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi SA over the 1984 cult film.
‘Spinal Tap’ creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S. lawsuit
(Reuters) – A U.S. judge said the creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” may pursue the fraud claim underlying their $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi SA over the 1984 cult film.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/08/29/arts/29reuters-film-spinaltap.html
‘Spinal Tap’ creators may pursue fraud claim in $400 million U.S. lawsuit
(Reuters) – A U.S. judge said the creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” may pursue the fraud claim underlying their $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi SA over the 1984 cult film.
Spinal Tap welcome latest ruling in Vivendi dispute
Harry Shearer has welcomed the latest development in the ongoing legal battle over the rights in and royalties generated by the ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ movie and soundtrack. A judge has given the all-clear for the core case against entertainment conglom Vivendi to proceed, although much of the case against its music subsidiary Universal Music will need to be re-filed.
Read more: http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/spinal-tap-welcome-latest-ruling-in-vivendi-dispute/
‘Spinal Tap’ Legal Battle May Go All the Way to 11
Court OKs Spinal Tap Creators’ Fraud Claim in Lawsuit
‘This Is Spinal Tap’ Creators Get Court’s OK To Pursue Fraud Claim In Lawsuit
Judge Allows ‘Spinal Tap’ Creators to Move Forward on Fraud Claim
A judge rules Vivendi’s alleged conduct goes above and beyond failure to comply with contractual obligations.
This Is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, Michael McKean and Christopher Guest on Tuesday scored a big decision from a California federal judge in their ongoing lawsuit against Vivendi over the 1984 cult film. Most importantly, the four have been given the green light to pursue a fraud claim.
Judge Allows ‘Spinal Tap’ Creators to Move Forward on Fraud Claim
Read more:
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/8472727/spinal-tap-creators-move-forward-fraud-claim
Universal Gets Trim Of $400M ‘Spinal Tap’ Suit
Read more:
W&DW Congress support spinal tap litigation in seeking share in success of their creation
The following resolution was unanimously adopted at the Writers & Directors Worldwide Congress in Venice in November 2017:
“Writers & Directors Worldwide salute the bold stand by the creators of the beloved film comedy This is Spinal Tap. In bringing a formal legal challenge the creators of the music & the film are simply seeking the payment they were promised by contract. Too often we, the talent, do not share in the success of our work. We welcome all challenges to opaque accounting, which symbolizes longstanding abusive corporate practices against the livelihoods of creative talent. We hope that the “Fairness Rocks ” banner, that has come to be associated with this legal action, can help our own efforts to unite the world’s different creative disciplines. Authors of film, music, and the written word together with the performers, who give life to the work, are the bedrock of global culture and deserve respect, reward and fairness. “
‘Spinal Tap’ Actors File Amended Complaint, Seek Ability to Reclaim Copyrights
Spinal Tap creators amend their Vivendi litigation, add Universal Music as a defendant
‘Spinal Tap’ Lawsuit Now Seeks Confirmation That Creators Reclaimed Rights Billboard
‘Spinal Tap’ Lawsuit Now Seeks Confirmation That Creators Reclaimed Rights
‘Spinal Tap’ Actors Add Universal To $400M Royalties Suit
Read more:
https://www.law360.com/articles/976344
Spinal Tap vs. Hollywood
For years, Harry Shearer, one of the creators of the comedy classic This Is Spinal Tap, received royalty checks for the movie that could barely cover a day’s supply of foil-wrapped zucchini. Now he’s got the band back together (in court) to find out what happened to the rest of the money and, they hope, change the way Hollywood does business. Call it a double-decker-axe blow for artists’ rights.
This Lawsuit Goes to 11
The creators of This is Spinal Tap, the most influential mockumentary ever made, have been paid almost nothing. The rock gods are angry.
In comedy, as in rock ’n’ roll, nothing is quite as easy as it looks. And so it makes sense that several years before the 1984 release of the legendary rock ’n’ roll mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, director Rob Reiner and stars and co-writers Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer first had to make a shorter version of the same movie: a sort of sample-size Spinal Tap, meant to whet the appetite of studios that might bankroll the real thing. Titled The Final Tour, this 20-minute demo reel about a past-its-prime, unselfconsciously ridiculous band makes for an uncanny viewing experience today, if for no other reason than how fully conceived the idea already was. It’s on YouTube if you’re curious.
Read more:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-04-20/this-is-spinal-tap-s-400-million-lawsuit
Harry Shearer: Why My ‘Spinal Tap’ Lawsuit Affects All Creators
“We are motivated by a desire to highlight the longstanding and improper accounting practices in the music and film industries,” actor writes
A little over three decades ago, This Is Spinal Tap perfectly parodied hard-rock excess with a pint-sized Stonehenge, amps that go “one louder” and the unforgettable phrase “Hello Cleveland.”
‘Spinal Tap’ Actors Blast Studio’s ‘Threat’ In Royalty Row
By Melissa Daniels
Law360, Los Angeles (March 30, 2017, 6:48 PM EDT) — The co-creators of “This Is Spinal Tap” on Wednesday defended their right to bring a $400 million royalty suit against Vivendi SA, in the process calling out the French media giant for a “grossly inappropriate litigation threat” against actor Harry Shearer.
Shearer and the other stars of the movie are suing Vivendi in California federal court over hundreds of millions of dollars in allegedly unpaid royalties connected to merchandise, soundtracks and the film itself. Shearer has also said he filed a so-called termination notice to regain…
Read more:
https://www.law360.com/ip/articles/908080/-spinal-tap-actors-blast-studio-s-threat-in-royalty-row
‘Spinal Tap’ creators fire back at current owners in court
The creators of “Spinal Tap” have turned the legal volume up to 11 in an effort to advance their $400 million suit against the movie’s current owner.
In pleadings filed on Wednesday, Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner derided a legal threat in Los Angeles federal court by Vivendi, which came to own the 1984 rock parody after a series of transactions, as “grossly inappropriate” and “legally irrelevant.”
Read more:
http://nypost.com/2017/03/30/spinal-tap-creators-fire-back-at-current-owners-in-court/
Spinal Tap creators hit out at Vivendi’s “distracting and obfuscatory conduct”
The creators of ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ have responded to Vivendi’s response to their $400 million lawsuit, mainly focusing on the termination right element of the case.
Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner all accuse Vivendi – which controls the ‘Spinal Tap’ movie via its StudioCanal business and the soundtrack via Universal Music – of misreporting financial information about the cult film and its spin offs in order to short-change the four creators who had a profit-share arrangement with the original producer.
Spinal Tap creators respond to ‘grossly inappropriate” claim their lawsuit should be thrown out
This Is Spinal Tap co-creators Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner have responded to Vivendi’s claim that their lawsuit should be thrown out, describing the French company’s behaviour as “grossly inappropriate”.
The original complaint, made by Shearer’s service company Century of Progress Productions [Case No. 2:16-cv-07733] was filed on October 17 2016. It alleges that Vivendi SA ‘engaged in anti-competitive and unfair business practices, as well as fraudulent accounting’ directly related to its management of This Is Spinal Tap. With Guest, McKean and Reiner’s official involvement, the revised suit now seeks US$400 million in compensatory and punitive damages, up from the US$125m originally claimed.
‘Spinal Tap’ Stars Blasted for ‘Absurdly’ Filed $400 Million Lawsuit
The 1984 film “This Is Spinal Tap” might be a beloved cult classic, but it was far from a blockbuster. At least that’s the assertion in a new filing relating to the $400 million lawsuit revolving around the movie.
In papers filed Tuesday, Vivendi and Studiocanal say that “Spinal Tap” stars Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner should be dropped from the suit, because they lack the standing to file a claim.
While expressing “genuine admiration for the talents” of Shearer, et al, Tuesday’s motion to dismiss claims that they don’t “have any right to file this lawsuit, nor any basis to hurl its irresponsible and untrue accusations against defendants.”
Read more:
http://www.thewrap.com/spinal-tap-stars-blasted-for-absurdly-filed-400-million-lawsuit/
‘Spinal Tap’ Defendants File Motion To Dismiss Lawsuit
French media giant Vivendi SA blasted back Tuesday at a lawsuit claiming it underpaid royalties for the cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap,” calling the suit’s demand of $400 million in damages “absurd.”
The studio’s filing in California federal court came in the form of a limited motion seeking to dismiss the movie’s actors — Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner and Michael McKean — as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, but Vivendi didn’t exactly hold back on what it thinks about the case as a whole.
“Plaintiffs may not like the fact that they have not received anything close to the $400 million in contingent compensation that their complaint absurdly claims they should have received,” the media giant wrote. “But that is only because the movie they made has not generated anywhere near the revenue necessary to pay them anything close to that sum.”
Read more:
http://wror.com/2017/03/01/spinal-tap-defendants-file-motion-dismiss-lawsuit/
Vivendi Calls $400M ‘Spinal Tap’ Royalties Claim ‘Absurd’
French media giant Vivendi SA blasted back Tuesday at a lawsuit claiming it underpaid royalties for the cult classic “This Is Spinal Tap,” calling the suit’s demand of $400 million in damages “absurd.”
The studio’s filing in California federal court came in the form of a limited motion seeking to dismiss the movie’s actors — Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner and Michael McKean — as plaintiffs in the lawsuit, but Vivendi didn’t exactly hold back on what it thinks about the case as a whole.
“Plaintiffs may not like the fact that they have not received anything close to the $400 million in contingent compensation that their complaint absurdly claims they should have received,” the media giant wrote. “But that is only because the movie they made has not generated anywhere near the revenue necessary to pay them anything close to that sum.”
Vivendi Demands Spinal Tap Members Be Ousted From Lawsuit “Absurdly” Claiming $400M in Damages
Forget an 11. This one is now up to at least 18.
Earlier this month, This Is Spinal Tap co-creators Christopher Guest and Michael McKean, along with the 1984 film’s director Rob Reiner, joined Harry Shearer in a lawsuit that alleges they’ve been denied as much as $400 million in contingent compensation from Vivendi and StudioCanal.
On Tuesday, the defendants filed a scathing motion to dismiss, presenting an issue — standing — we highlighted in our earlier story.
Media company bosses seek dismissal of $400 million Spinal Tap lawsuit
In October (16) Harry Shearer, who played bassist Derek Smalls in the beloved 1984 spoof rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap filed a lawsuit alleging Vivendi bosses had cheated him and the film’s co-creators out of its profits, seeking $125 million (£100 million).
Last month (Feb17) the film’s director Rob Reiner and Harry’s co-stars Christopher Guest and Michael McKean joined the lawsuit, bumping up the amount claimed to $400 million.
Lawyers for the French media conglomerate, who own the rights to the film via their subsidiary StudioCanal, filed court papers on Tuesday (28Feb17), asking a California federal court judge to dismiss the case.
Vivendi seeks dismissal of Spinal Tap’s $400 million lawsuit
Last year, Harry Shearer filed a lawsuit against Vivendi Universal about This is Spinal Tap, a classic 1984 film that started the mockumentary genre that’s continued on to this day. And while there have been plenty of lawsuits against movie studios or record labels, the lawsuit alleged that Shearer and co-creators Christopher Guest and Michael McKean made only $81 in merchandising income in between 1984 and 2006, and soundtrack sales only netted them $98 in between 1989 and 2006. That’s preposterous, and the website Shearer set up fairnessrocks.com, laid out his reasoning, stating that they’d been denied as much as $400 million from Vivendi and StudiooCanalLast month, Guest, Mckean and the film’s director Rob Reiner joined in on the lawsuit.
Read more:
http://www.metalinsider.net/legal-woes/vivendi-seeks-dismissal-of-spinal-taps-400-million-lawsuit
Vivendi says $400 million Spinal Tap legal claim “absurd”
Universal Music owner Vivendi would like everyone to know that it has “genuine admiration for the talents of Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner”. But all things considered, the company would prefer it if all four creators of ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ would just fuck off and die. Well, I’m paraphrasing slightly. Slightly.
Vivendi has responded to the litigation being pursued by the four Spinal Tap men, who accuse the entertainment firm’s movie business StudioCanal of “wilfully manipulated certain accounting data, while ignoring contractually-obligated accounting and reporting processes, to deny [the] co-creators their rightful stake in the production’s profits”.
Read more:
http://www.completemusicupdate.com/article/vivendi-says-400-million-spinal-tap-legal-claim-absurd/
“Spinal Tap” Owners Demand Dismissal of $400 Million Lawsuit
Vivendi is cranking their lawsuit up to an 11. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the owner of “This Is Spinal Tap” has fought back against the $400 lawsuit filed by the cult movie’s creators and stars. The media conglomerate asked for the lawsuit to be thrown out, stating that the plaintiffs have no rights to their work-for-hire material.
Actor Harry Shearer filed a $400 million lawsuit against Vivendi, saying that the company owed him royalties for the 1984 movie. Earlier this month, his co-stars and the movie’s co-creators Christopher Guest and Michael McKean joined him as plaintiffs. The film’s director Rob Reiner also signed on.
Read more:
http://www.jdjournal.com/2017/03/01/spinal-tap-owners-demand-dismissal-of-400-million-lawsuit/
‘Spinal Tap’ owners attempt to get creators’ $400M suit tossed
The foursome behind the “Spinal Tap” mockumentary — Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner — should have the volume of their $400 million suit against Vivendi turned down to zero, the company said on Wednesday.
Vivendi’s StudioCanal unit, which owns the movie, asked a judge to toss the suit.
The four filed suit last year claiming they were stiffed out of millions of dollars in music sales and merchandising income related to the 1984 movie.
So far, they have pocketed only $189 for music sales and merchandising income related to the 1984 movie, they said in the suit.
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Read more:
http://nypost.com/2017/03/01/spinal-tap-owners-attempt-to-get-creators-400m-suit-tossed/
VIVENDI MOVES TO DISMISS ‘TAP’ SUIT
Vivendi S.A. and Studiocanal say they have “genuine admiration” for “This Is Spinal Tap” stars Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner, but their $400 million claim for damages is “absurd” and they should be dismissed from their own suit.
The companies moved to dismiss the comedians in a Feb. 28 U.S. District Court filing, saying that only Spinal Tap Productions had standing to file the suit because the Spinal Tap members signed letters authorizing STP to collect payments, thus waiving the right to sue.
The studios also claim that “This Is Spinal Tap” generated “U.S. theatrical revenue of under $5 million,” according to court documents, nowhere near the $400 million the stars claim they are owed.
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Read more:
https://www.pollstar.com/News/vivendi-moves-to-dismiss-tap-suit-130864
Le faux groupe de rock Spinal Tap porte plainte contre Vivendi
Le réalisateur Rob Reiner ainsi que les acteurs Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer et Michael McKean se réunissent pour réclamer 400 millions de dollars à la compagnie de Vincent Bolloré, qu’ils accusent d’escroquerie.
Le faux groupe de hard rock le plus célèbre du cinéma est de retour, mais pas là où on l’attendait. En effet, la troupe de Spinal Tap, du film éponyme de Rob Reiner sorti en 1984, ne se réunira pas sur grand écran, mais au tribunal. Le réalisateur américain et ses comparses coscénariste, les acteurs Harry Shearer, Christopher Guest et Michael McKean, se liguent contre Vivendi. Ils réclament 400 millions de dollars de dommages et intérêts au groupe français, dans une plainte déposée il y a quelques mois.
En octobre dernier, le comédien Harry Shearer (qui double également des personnages de la série Les Simpson comme Ned Flanders et Mr Burns) avait porté plainte contre le groupe détenu par Vincent Bolloré, pour «fraude» dans la gestion des droits du film. Les trois autres créateurs ont rallié la procédure mardi 7 février, dénonçant un comportement «outrageux» de la part de la compagnie.
Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, and Michael McKean Join Harry Shearer’s $400 Million This Is Spinal Tap Lawsuit
Christopher Guest, Rob Reiner, and Michael McKean have joined their This Is Spinal Tap co-star Harry Shearer’s lawsuit against against Vivendi SA over alleged fraudulent accounting related to the 1984 cult classic.
Shearer first filed the lawsuit last October, claiming that Vivendi only reported $98 in total income from soundtrack music sales and $81 in worldwide merchandising income between 1989 and 2006. According to the lawsuit, a 1982 agreement with Embassy Pictures–which has since been acquired by Vivendi–entitles Shearer, Guest, Reiner, and McKean to 40 percent of the movie’s net receipts, including revenue from music and merchandise.
The initial lawsuit sought $125 million in compensatory and punitive damages, but the addition of three new plaintiffs has raised that figure to $400 million, the Guardian reports.
“The deliberate obfuscation by Vivendi and its subsidiaries is an outrage,” Guest said in a statement. “It is vital that such behavior is challenged in the strongest way possible.”
Reiner also issued a statement.“Such anti-competitive practices need to be exposed,” he said. “I am hoping this lawsuit goes to 11.”
“This is Spinal Tap was the result of four very stubborn guys working very hard to create something new under the sun,” McKean added. “The movie’s influence on the last three decades of film comedy is something we are very proud of. But the buck always stopped somewhere short of Rob, Harry, Chris and myself. It’s time for a reckoning. It’s only right.”
Spinal Tap Crew Joins Harry Shearer’s $400 Million Lawsuit Against Vivendi
This Is Spinal Tap actors Christopher Guest and Michael McKean and the mockumentary’s director Rob Reiner have joined co-star Harry Shearer’s lawsuit against the film’s rights holder Vivendi.
In October, Shearer filed a $125 million lawsuit against Vivendi, alleging accounting misappropriation, fraud and breach of contract in regards to the 1984 cult classic and its soundtrack.
In the lawsuit, Shearer claimed that, over a 22-year period, he only received $98 for his contributions to the soundtrack and $81 from merchandising income. The income he generated from his share was “about enough to buy one miniature Stonehenge,” he joked.
Shearer also launched a website – Fairness Rocks – to assist in his legal battle against Vivendi.
Now, Spinal Tap is reuniting, in a sense: Guest, McKean and Reiner announced Wednesday that they too have aligned with Shearer’s lawsuit against the French corporation, with the foursome, as joint plaintiffs, now seeking $400 million in damages.
“Their participation will help demonstrate the opaque and misleading conduct at the heart of this case. We’re even louder now,” Shearer said in a statement.
McKean added, “This Is Spinal Tap was the result of four very stubborn guys working very hard to create something new under the sun. The movie’s influence on the last three decades of film comedy is something we are very proud of. But the buck always stopped somewhere short of Rob, Harry, Chris and myself. It’s time for a reckoning. It’s only right.”
Reiner, who previously supported Shearer’s lawsuit against Vivendi before ultimately joining the legal battle Wednesday, told Rolling Stone in October, “The artists involved in Spinal Tap deserve fair compensation for their work. It’s impossible that Vivendi’s income from music sales and merchandising totaled just $179 over a more than 20-year period.”
In Shearer’s lawsuit, the actor is also seeking to have the rights to This Is Spinal Tap revert back to its creators because of a Copyright Act provision that terminates some licenses after 35 years. However, while the Spinal Tap characters were created in 1978, it’s unlikely those licenses would expire until 2019, or 35 years after the comedy’s release.
Spinal Tap creators aim to ‘go to 11’ with $400m lawsuit
The band members from cult rock mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap have agreed to reunite in a bid they claim will ensure a $400m (£321m) lawsuit against media firm Vivendi “goes to 11”.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/feb/08/spinal-tap-lawsuit-harry-shearer-rob-reiner-vivendi
Spinal Tap get the band back together for Vivendi lawsuit
A lawsuit alleging that Vivendi, the French media conglomerate, engaged in “anti-competitive behaviour” and “fraudulent accounting” in its management of the royalties generated by the movie This Is Spinal Tap has been turned up to 11.
Read more: https://www.ft.com/content/41a47b96-8ba6-37a4-b0ec-53e62f5fabc7
Les co-créateurs du film “This is Spinal tap” rejoignent une plainte contre Vivendi
Les co-créateurs du film “This is Spinal tap” rejoignent une plainte contre Vivendi
8 February 2017
Trois co-créateurs du film culte “This is Spinal tap” se sont joints à une plainte contre Vivendi, l’accusant de “fraude” dans la gestion des droits de la comédie sortie en 1984 et réclamant 400 millions de dollars, selon un communiqué mercredi.
Harry Shearer, qui prête sa voix à plus d’une vingtaine de personnages des Simpsons, avait déposé en octobre une plainte à Los Angeles contre le conglomérat français, dénonçant notamment des “méthodes comptables frauduleuses”.
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean et Rob Reiner se sont ralliés mardi à la procédure judiciaire, indique le document. Tous ensemble, ils demandent à Vivendi 400 millions de dollars de “dommages et intérêts compensatoires et punitifs”, contre 125 millions de dollars dans la plainte initiale.
“This is Spinal Tap”, une comédie sur “le groupe le plus bruyant d’Angleterre”, est sortie en 1984 au Royaume-Uni et aux Etats-Unis où il est devenu un film culte malgré un faible nombre d’entrées en salles.
Christopher Guest interprète dans ce faux documentaire parodique le guitariste, Michael McKean le chanteur-guitariste et Harry Shearer le bassiste. Rob Reiner a réalisé le film et prête sa voix au narrateur.
Vivendi avait acquis les droits du film, via Canal+, en 1989. Le groupe s’est par la suite, selon la plainte, “engagé dans un modèle de pratiques anticoncurrentielles et déloyales, a abandonné l’application des droits (du film) et a délibérément dissimulé et manipulé des années de comptabilité afin de conserver de l’argent dû aux plaignants”.
Les quatre co-auteurs du film avaient signé en 1982 un accord avec Embassy Pictures, qui attribuait “40% des recettes nettes aux créateurs, calculées sur l’ensemble des sources de revenus, film, musique et produits dérivés”, selon le communiqué.
Or, Vivendi a chiffré la part revenant aux quatre créateurs à 81 dollars pour les produits dérivés entre 1984 et 2013.
“Les manoeuvres délibérées de Vivendi et ses filiales relèvent du scandale. Il est essentiel que de tels comportements soient contestés de la plus vive manière possible”, a commenté Christopher Guest, cité dans le communiqué.
Contacté par l’AFP, un porte-parole de Vivendi a répondu que le groupe ne faisait pas de commentaire sur les litiges en cours.
LES ECHOS (16 Dec 2016)
LES ECHOS: LE CERCLE/POINT DE VUE 16 December 16
Il faut rétablir le droit pour les auteurs à une rémunération proportionnelle à l’utilisation de leurs oeuvres.
On nous chante aujourd’hui à longueur de temps les valeurs de l’économie de partage et de l’économie collaborative ; les réseaux sont sociaux et ouverts, et on a l’impression qu’il n’y a que des gagnants à la nouvelle grande loterie économique où l’innovation «disruptive» amène de «profonds changements structurels» et de nouveaux «business models» qui «profitent à tous». Tout cela sonne très rock et moderne.
Mais la plainte déposée contre Vivendi par l’acteur, compositeur, producteur, réalisateur et scénariste américain Harry Shearer sur la façon dont le groupe a géré les droits du film «This is Spinal Tap» rappelle en fait un refrain trop connu : le partage n’est pas équitable entre artistes et industriels. Harry Shearer, vedette mondiale et coauteur du film, peut attaquer. Ennio Morricone, autre artiste légendaire, lui a emboîté le pas. Mais combien, moins connus, moins aisés, moins libres ont dû et doivent encore s’incliner ? L’enjeu, outre les aspects d’éthique ou de morale, est de bousculer le partage de valeur entre artistes et distributeurs, créateurs et firmes, inventeurs et usines.
Oeuvres aux vies multiples
Ces initiatives ont peu marqué les esprits en France : la conscience du poids de l’industrie du divertissement n’y est pas la même que dans le monde anglo-saxon. Pourtant la réalité est là : aujourd’hui encore, et sans doute aujourd’hui plus qu’hier, du fait des nouveaux acteurs qui se sont invités dans la chaîne de valeur, les auteurs d’un film ne sont pas certains d’être associés à la vie de leur oeuvre et à son succès.
Le film vit plusieurs vies : salles, DVD, VoD ; il peut même ressortir plusieurs fois, devenir une oeuvre culte reconnue dans le monde entier. Mais, le plus souvent, il n’y a rien de plus pour les auteurs en rémunération de ce succès et des différentes exploitations. Comme si, pour eux, le film n’avait finalement pas existé ou n’avait été vu par personne.
Le droit d’auteur a été créé il y a plus de deux siècles ; il s’agissait de créer un cadre légal favorable à l’essor et à la diversité de la création en permettant aux auteurs de vivre de leur travail et d’être associés au succès de leur oeuvre. Venus bien après, les scénaristes et réalisateurs ont vu le lien entre l’exploitation de leurs oeuvres et leur rémunération se déliter dans le temps. Dans la plupart des pays, une rémunération forfaitaire a remplacé le droit légitime à une rémunération proportionnelle pour chaque exploitation. La négociation de cette rémunération ayant lieu avant la mise en production, sans pouvoir estimer le succès ou non dans le monde entier et pour toutes les exploitations, on ne peut donc pas parler d’une rémunération équitable.
Droit incessible et inaliénable
C’est tout le sens de la campagne que mène Writers and Directors Worldwide avec la Confédération internationale des sociétés d’auteurs, la Cisac, afin d’inscrire dans la loi ce droit essentiel pour les auteurs à une rémunération proportionnelle pour l’utilisation et la diffusion de leurs oeuvres audiovisuelles. Un droit incessible et inaliénable, la reconnaissance du statut d’auteur pour les scénaristes et réalisateurs, une rémunération résultant d’une négociation équilibrée, à la charge des utilisateurs des oeuvres et gérée collectivement par les organisations d’auteurs. Un droit universel pour un marché mondial.
Ce droit ne remet pas en question la cession de droits au producteur, bien évidemment. Mais, dans les pays qui l’ont introduit, comme en Italie, il est en fait un catalyseur de succès ; il préserve la liberté de création, l’existence de créateurs indépendants, et garantit la diversité et le renouvellement de la création. Il s’agit d’un rééquilibrage encadré par le législateur, d’une recherche de partage équitable et non d’une taxe prélevée auprès du public ou enlevée au producteur, celui qui a su parier sur le film avec ses auteurs et ses partenaires.
Yves Nilly est président de Writers & Directors Worldwide, et administrateur delégué de la SACD, société des auteurs-compositeurs dramatiques
En savoir plus sur http://www.lesechos.fr/idees-debats/cercle/0211556825414-il-est-temps-darreter-de-passer-les-auteurs-par-pertes-et-profits-2051027.php#WqATwuRmrUzkDzRf.99
Creators Rights: Harry Shearer, known as the voice of The Simpsons, Fights Vivendi in the US
1st December 2016
Full article available here: http://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2016/12/01/droits-d-auteur-harry-shearer-connu-pour-etre-la-voix-des-simpsons-attaque-vivendi-aux-etats-unis_5041434_3234.html#lVKyK9T8oc0bKhx4.99
Translation:
Creators Rights: Harry Shearer, known as the voice of The Simpsons, Fights Vivendi in the US
By filing a complaint against the producer, the American denounces the fraudulent practices of Hollywood studios over remuneration for artists.
For fear of being placed on a blacklist, artists rarely attack the producers of Hollywood films. Harry Shearer, composer, producer, Director and writer known worldwide for having lent his voice to 23 of the Simpsons characters, didn’t beat about the bush.
On 17 October, he filed a complaint against Vivendi in the Central Court of California, Los Angeles, accusing Vivendi of fraud and demanding $125 million (euros 118 million) for unpaid fees and compensation.
The dispute is, according to the complaint, about the film “This is Spinal Tap”, of which Harry Shearer was co-creator of the script and sound track and, as actor, since he played the role of bassist, Derek Smalls. According to the complaint, Vivendi and its subsidiaries—Studio Canal and Universal Music Group –have deliberately manipulated accounting data and breached agreed procedures, denying him, as well as his three co-creators of “This is Spinal Tap” – Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Rob Reiner – payment of rights.
Rivers of gold
In 1982, all four creators had signed an agreement with Embassy Pictures, to assign 40% of net revenue to them as creators, based on all of the income of the film, music and derivative merchandise products.
This low budget ($2,25 million) film, released in 1984 and bought by Vivendi in 1989 through its subsidiary Canal Plus, has generated waves of gold. “Tens of millions dollars” according to the complaint. And yet, the amount assigned to the four creators between 1984 and 2006 was $81 for related merchandise and $98 for music-related sales…
“I first got sporadic information from Vivendi, then nothing. They left me in the dark for a long time”, Harry Shearer explains to Le Monde. “I was told that the film had never made money. Due to difficulties in obtaining information from Vivendi, it took a long time for my lawyer, Amanda Harcourt, to prepare an accurate report to highlight what the film had made.”
The studios ‘in position of strength’
After two worldwide releases, a huge number of CDs, DVDs and other derivative music sales which are still being distributed, those who created the band and who first released the film still have not earned what is owed them. This annoys the American.
Has this case been issued because Harry Shearer is sufficiently well-known and so does not run the risk of being banned by the studios? Does it expose an unknown systematic plundering the rights of artists in the United States? “There are very many cases of painful situations for artists, musicians, actors who are not paid for the work they have done. Their works can be for example illegally exploited on Internet download platforms”, says the creator.
M. Shearer is starting on a crusade for all artists tricked by the studios. “Hollywood, is rather a bubble of isolation” from which nothing filters through, according to him: “It’s a totally asymmetric system between the creators and the film studios. There are far more people who want to work than there are jobs. The studios, in a position of strength, know how to make use of this inequality”.
For Amanda Harcourt, accounting practices in Hollywood are often designed to minimize the proceeds of a film so that the studio is not obliged to pay out a percentage of the profits. As well as corporations avoiding paying taxes in some countries, the income of certain subsidiaries can be aggregated so that some costs are absorbed within revenue streams. The different positions between operations, derivatives or distribution are shared out so that the film is never profitable.
Accounting subtlety
‘Goodfellas’, ‘Spider-Man’, “Return of the Jedi”… None of these blockbusters were profitable. Among the victims of these accounting subtleties, Series VI of Star Wars, Return of the Jedi, which “has never been profitable”, according to its producer even though the film has earned $500 million revenue, just like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which officially lost $170 million, explains Harry Shearer’s lawyer. In the same way, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas (Warner Bros.) or John Landis’ Coming to America (Paramount) have never made a dime.
Stan Lee, Spider-Man’s co-creator, did not earn a single dollar whereas the film, released in 2002, generated $ 800 million. He decided to sue Marvel Comics. In the same vein, Peter Jackson, the Director of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, sued New Line Cinema.
Many groups who are not from the world of cinema, like Sony, Rupert Murdoch or Vivendi, have invested in Hollywood, with “making a fortune” in mind. This was not always the case. But Hollywood accounting has generated far more profit for businesses than for the creators. Shearer claims “It’s a very favorable industry for producers”.
To the question “why am I seeking $ 125 million?”, Harry Shearer replies that “this figure is related to the assessment of the receipts due but not paid and compensation”. “This is serious; “I wouldn’t lodge a claim for $5! Vivendi, for its part, does not comment on pending litigation.
Spinal Tap star turns it up to 11 in fight for royalties
(22 October 2016)
The artist’s law suit comes at a time of deepening suspicion of platform owners
Philip Delves Broughton
There can only be one winner in the case of the actor Harry Shearer v Vivendi, the French media group, over royalties from the 1984 film, This is Spinal Tap. And it’s bad news, I’m afraid, for the French.
Read the full article here: https://www.ft.com/content/a67a11ae-96dc-11e6-a1dc-bdf38d484582
Spinal Tap’s Harry Shearer claims he was shorted $125 million
Spinal Tap has reunited — this time in a Los Angeles court to challenge the French studio Vivendi S.A. for millions in profits from the classic mockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap.”
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Rob Reiner on Tuesday joined a federal lawsuit filed by bandmate and Spinal Tap co-creator Harry Shearer.
Shearer, who also voices numerous characters on “The Simpsons,” sued Vivendi S.A. and its subsidiary StudioCanal in October alleging the companies fraudulently withheld profits and the rights to the characters from the 1984 film. Reiner directed and narrated the classic satire of a fictional British rock band on the decline, whose hits included the songs “Sex Farm” and “Stonehenge.”
Guest and McKean have teamed up on other satire films, including “Best in Show” and “A Mighty Wind,” in which they were joined by Shearer.
“What makes this case so egregious is the prolonged and deliberate concealment of profit and the purposeful manipulation of revenue allocation between various Vivendi subsidiaries – to the detriment of the creative talent behind the band and film,” Reiner wrote in a statement. “Such anti-competitive practices need to be exposed.
“I am hoping this lawsuit goes to 11,” Reiner wrote, borrowing a line from the film.
“This is Spinal Tap was the result of four very stubborn guys working very hard to create something new under the sun,” McKean wrote in a statement. “The movie’s influence on the last three decades of film comedy is something we are very proud of. But the buck always stopped somewhere short of Rob, Harry, Chris and myself. It’s time for a reckoning. It’s only right.”
Vivendi declined comment, citing a policy against discussing pending litigation.
The lawsuit also seeks certain rights to the film, including trademarks on the band’s name and the name of Shearer’s character, Derek Smalls.
His lawsuit initially sought $125 million in damages, but the amended complaint seeks $400 million. A jury would determine the amount of any judgment.
The four co-creators have been told that their share of Spinal Tap profits were $81 in merchandise profits between 1984 and 2013, and $98 in music royalties for the same years, the lawsuit states. It contends Vivendi hasn’t produced detailed figures since 2013.
The film earned $4.5 million in theaters when it was released, and its re-release earned $193,000, according to figures from box office analysis firm comScore.
Those figures do not take into account money the film earned on the home video market, which would include VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-Ray and its airings on television and cable.
Spinal Tap’s bass player sues former French sewer
(18 Oct 2016)
Actor, writer and director Harry Shearer, who played Derek Smalls in the band Spinal Tap, is suing the owners of the movie This Is Spinal Tap over royalties.
Read the full article on The Register:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/18/harry_shearer_spinal_tap_lawsuit/
Harry Shearer sues Vivendi over Spinal Tap profits
(18 Oct 2016)
Harry Shearer is taking legal action against entertainment group Vivendi, claiming it has denied him and others profits from 1984’s This is Spinal Tap.
Read the full article on The BBC:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37688670
Harry Shearer Files $125 Million ‘Spinal Tap’ Fraud Suit, Copyright Termination
(18 Oct 2016)
Harry Shearer has launched a $125 million fraud and contract-breach lawsuit against Vivendi and StudioCanal over the 1984 rockumentary classic This Is Spinal Tap.
Read the full article on The Hollywood Reporter:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/harry-shearer-files-125-million-939205
UNIVERSAL CAUGHT UP IN $125M LAWSUIT AS SPINAL TAP STAR ACCUSES VIVENDI OF FRAUD
(18 Oct 2016)
This Is Spinal Tap star Harry Shearer is suing Universal parent Vivendi for what he alleges is dramatic and deliberate under-payment of music royalties.
Read the full article on Music Business Worldwide:
http://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/universal-caught-lawsuit-spinal-tap-star-sues-vivendi-125m/
Actor Harry Shearer Sues Over ‘Spinal Tap’ Royalties
(18 Oct 2016)
Comedian and actor Harry Shearer said in a lawsuit filed Monday that he’s been bilked for years out of profits generated by “This Is Spinal Tap,”
Read the full article on The Wall Street Journal:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/actor-harry-shearer-sues-over-spinal-tap-royalties-1476826458
This is the £100m Spinal Tap lawsuit
(19 Oct 2016)
In the celebrated 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, members of a fictional rock band toured the world under the tutelage of a hapless manager.
Read the full article on The Times:
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/this-is-the-100m-spinal-tap-lawsuit-8vc5tx98g
Spinal Tap bassist sues Vivendi for $125m
(18 Oct 2016)
Harry Shearer, who played bass guitarist Derek Smalls in the 1984 “rockumentary”This is Spinal Tap, has gone “to 11” with a $125m lawsuit against Vivendi.
Read the full article on FT.com:
https://www.ft.com/content/6ff840a0-9516-11e6-a80e-bcd69f323a8b
Le co-auteur de This is the Spinal Tap, Harry Shearer, voix des “Simpsons”, poursuit Vivendi en justice (et réclame 125$m) pour non-respect des droits d’auteur
Paris, le 18 octobre 2016 – Harry Shearer, l’artiste, acteur, compositeur, producteur, réalisateur et scénariste américain à la notoriété mondiale notamment pour avoir été la voix de 23 personnages de la série télé “les Simpsons“, a déposé aujourd’hui une plainte en justice pour fraude à Los Angeles USA contre le conglomérat français Vivendi. La plainte explique que Vivendi a depuis plusieurs années, mis en place des pratiques anti concurrentielles et déloyales ainsi que des méthodes comptables frauduleuses dans la gestion des droits du film This Is Spinal Tap, l’un des plus grands succès de l’industrie du cinéma. Harry Shearer est co -auteur du film ; il a co-écrit la bande sonore et interprétait le rôle du bassiste du groupe de This is Spinal Tap, Derek Smalls.
Selon la plainte, Vivendi et ses agents, ainsi que les filiales, StudioCanal et Universal Music Groupe, ont délibérément manipulé certaines données comptables, et enfreint les procédures de reporting contractuellement convenues, pour refuser à Shearer et ses co-créateurs le versement de leurs arts dans les revenus du film. Le plaignant demande 125 millions de dollars tant au titre des droits non perçus qu’à titre d’indemnisation.
Ron Halpern, en tant que dirigeant de StudioCanal, exerçant la responsabilité personnelle de l’exploitation du film et de la bande sonore, est nommément visé par la plainte. Ron Halpern vit à Paris.
“Voici presque 40 ans, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner et moi avons créé cet orchestre devenu légendaire, The Spinal Tap,” explique Harry Shearer. “Nous avons senti qu’il y avait quelque chose d’exceptionnel dans les personnages et nous nous sommes considerabelemnt investis, entre l’idée initiale et la sortie du film en 1984, nous nous sommes considérablement investis pour créer ce qui est devenu une véritable légende qui a rencontré un succès universel, a distrait et continue encore aujourd’hui de distraire tant de personnes. Mais, malgré le gigantesque succès du film et de sa musique, nous sommes victimes des allégations classiques et des méthodes comptables de l’industrie du spectacle qui pénalisent de très nombreux auteurs et créateurs. Dans le cas de This is the Spinal Tap, la fraude et la négligence sont véritablement trop flagrants pour ne pas agir».
En 1982 MM. Reiner, Shearer, Guest et McKean – avaient signé en 1982 un accord avec Embassy Pictures Inc. pour la production, le financement et la distribution de This is the Spinal Tap. L’accord attribuait 40 % des recettes nettes aux créateurs, calculées sur l’ensemble des sources de revenus, film, musique et produits dérivés.
A sa sortie en salles en 1984, le film est immédiatement devenu une référence-culte et This is the Spinal Tap est aujourd’hui reconnu comme l’un des plus grands succès du XXème siècle. Le film a été distingué à de multiples reprises :il est dans le New York Times Guide des 1.000 meilleurs films de l’histoire, mais aussi dans la Total List des 100 plus grands films et a aussi été classé numéro un dans le prestigieux classement du Time Out London’s 100 Best Comedy Movies List. En 2002, le succès récurrent du film a décidé les dirigeants de la Bibliothèque du Congrès américain, la plus ancienne et l’une des plus prestigieuses institutions culturelles américaines, de le répertorier comme film «culturellement, historiquement et esthétiquement majeur ».
Les resultats du film ont été en phase avec l’accueil exceptionnel de la critique et du public. Le film a été réalisé avec très peu de moyens : le budget initial n’a pas dépassé 2,25 millions de dollars. Mais This is the Spinal Tap a généré durant 32 ans des dizaines de millions de dollars de revenus, via l’exploitation du film, les DVD, les albums, les singles et de a musique sous toutes les formes d’écoute. Mais ces profits n’ont pas été loyalement distribués pour ce qui devait revenir aux co-createurs, aux acteurs et aux equipes.
En 1989 Vivendi, via Canal +, acquiert les droits du film. C’est à partir de cette date, selon la plainte, qu’ont débuté de véritables manœuvres pour masquer les revenus d’exploitation, en compliquer le suivi et la comptabilisation et ainsi minimiser les droits et éviter d’avoir à respecter les obligations dues aux auteurs. La plainte explique que les états comptables fournis par Vivendi ont été régulièrement incohérents et il est avéré que depuis 2014, date du trentième anniversaire de la sortie du fil, Vivendi a été dans l’incapacité de fournir le moindre reportant de l’exploitation.
La plainte souligne que malgré les millions de revenus du film, le conglomérat a affirmé que la part revenant aux quatre des quatre créateurs de revenu mondial total entre 1984 et 2006 était de US$81. Entre 1989 et 2006, le revenu total de seules ventes de musique a été estimé par Vivendi comme US$98 des dollars, selon la plainte.
« L’enjeu est simple : c’est celui du respect des droits d’auteur, explique Harry Shearer. Il est stupéfiant alors qu’après plus de trente ans, deux sorties de cinéma, toute une production en CD, DVD, home cinéma et tant de produits dérivés sont toujours distribués un peu partout dans le monde, seuls les gens à l’origine du succès, ceux qui ont formé l’orchestre et ont créé le film en premier ne perçoivent pas ce qui leur est dû ».
« Vivendi et ses filiales – qui possèdent les droits de milliers d’œuvres- ont, au moins dans notre cas, celui de This is the Spinal Tap, conduit des pratiques profesionnelles manifestement déloyales,” continue Harry Shearer. “Mais je ne serais pas surpris que notre cas ne soit que la partie visible de l’iceberg. J’intente cette action en justice en mon nom, mais c’est aussi pour le compte de tous les créateurs de films grand public dont le talent n’est pas justement rémunéré que j’agis. Je suis juste un cas qui cherche réparation pour une injustice flagrante, mais j’espère que ce procès, aidera à établir des procédures claires et loyales pour des méthodes comptables fiables et transparentes pour la rémunération des auteurs et des artistes, et cela pour toute l’industrie du spectacle.”
