Writers’ Suit Alleges Boycott

The Writers Guild of America, in an antitrust suit filed Tuesday, accused the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and 18 of its member companies of mounting an illegal boycott of producers who signed independent labor contracts with the guild.

The producers’ alliance immediately called the suit “outrageous.” In a statement, the alliance said: “It has absolutely no merit. It only diverts attention from the real issue, which is settling the strike.”

The latest exchange came as a strike by about 9,000 movie and television writers neared the 19-week mark.

Injunction Asked

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court here, seeks an injunction barring the alliance or its member companies from pressuring smaller producers in an effort to prevent them from signing separate contracts with the guild. No hearing date was set.

All three major TV networks and all of Hollywood’s major studios were named as defendants.

According to the suit, the companies “agreed among themselves . . . to boycott” movies and programs made by small producers who signed individual contracts with the guild. The suit also alleged that the companies “by combination, conspiracy, and agreement, acted together” to interfere with contracts some producers had already signed.

Such a policy by the major producers would undermine a major element in the guild’s strike strategy: to sign individual contracts with independent producers, thus bypassing the alliance. The guild says it has signed contracts with about 150 individual producers.

The only specific instance of interference cited in the filing involved Kings Road Entertainment. Last week, Kings Road signed an independent agreement with the guild, and then reversed itself, saying it would not hire writers under the contract until the strike against alliance companies is settled.

Pressure Denied

At the time of the reversal, Kings Road Chairman Stephen Friedman said his company had not been pressured into its action. Kings Road is not named as a plaintiff or defendant in the guild’s complaint.

ABC, CBS, and NBC--all members of the producers’ alliance--each stated recently that they would not seek programs from independent producers who signed contracts with the guild before the strike ended.

Top officers from Fox, Paramount and Disney--in response to a reporter’s questions--also said last week that their companies would not finance or distribute movies or programs offered by such producers.

In addition to Kings Road, Carolco Pictures last week said it was “considering whether or not” to suspend its movie development activity in support of the alliance, despite having signed with the guild.

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