The Role of Hollywood’s Guilds and Unions in Dealing With the Rip-Off Artists

We agree with the basic premise of the article “How Blind Is Hollywood to Ethics?” (April 22). The entertainment industry suffers from the same national malaise that produces crooked politicians, deceitful aerospace contractors, manipulative ministers, cops on the take, deadbeat fathers and tax cheats. Many in our nation have somehow lost a standard for personal integrity.

However, we don’t believe that our industry is any worse than any other; nor is the problem of unethical behavior a new one. Our guild was founded in 1933, in part, to establish an institution that would help screenwriters confront the rip-off artists of their day. Calendar did a disservice to its readers by overlooking the legal services provided by Hollywood’s guilds and unions and the rights won by the members of talent and craft unions.

Our rules are more than “guidelines” (as described in your article). They’re in contract form and subject to vigorous enforcement by the guild in binding arbitration and otherwise. It was misleading for Calendar to imply that writers and other union-represented artists would have to go to court at their own expense to collect unpaid compensation.

There are simple steps first-time writers can take to protect their interests, such as registering their stories and scripts with the WGA and/or copyrighting them with the U.S. Copyright Office, documenting their meetings and discussions with company representatives by follow-up letters and saving copies of all their literary material.

GEORGE KIRGO

President, Writers Guild of America, West Inc.

West Hollywood