Un-Happy Days for actors featured on a popular slot machine

[knagl]

According to some former Happy Days actors, CBS has basically told them to "sit on it" and hasn't been paying royalties for Happy Days merchandise sales and the use of their likeness on WMS' slot machines.

Here's the article:
http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/19/news/companies/happy_days_fraud_claim/index.htm?hpt=C2

[poppo]

In documents provided to the actors, CBS said it only owes them between $8,500 and $9,000 each for the last four years. Most of that money is from slot machine revenues. The actors argue they are owed millions of dollars.

While I think they may be owed moeny for using thoer pictures, it sounds like they want a cut of the slot revenue too. IMO they would not be entitled to that.

[reho33]

Al Lewis and the rest of "The Munsters" were un-successful in getting IGT to stop using their likeness on the slot with the same theme, different contracts I guess.

[StatFreak]

If the Happy Days actors had merchandising residuals in their contracts and have not been receiving money for all of these merchandise deals, they should sue and are certainly entitled to their money. I wonder if their claim that the industry has been screwing over actors as a general practice is true?    I haven't looked into it.


On the other hand, this sounds fishy:

Asked why they didn't raise the merchandising issue earlier, Williams said, "We're actors. We were going through other things. We just thought if there was something to be made, we'd get it in the mail. We didn't think about it. But when those slot machines hit, it just woke us all up to look back and say, 'Wait and minute.'"

Are these actors living in such an isolated bubble that they couldn't possibly have been aware of all the "Happy Days" merchandise that's been sold over the last 25 years?


And get this:

Under the actors' contracts, they were supposed to be paid 5% from the net proceeds of merchandising if their sole image were used, and 2 1/2% if they were in a group. The studio could deduct 50% off the top as a "handling fee."

So, even IF the studio had paid what it was supposed to pay, they were keeping HALF for themselves as a BS fee?! If my agent had agreed to those terms I'd have fired him.

[poppo]

So, even IF the studio had paid what it was supposed to pay, they were keeping HALF for themselves as a BS fee?! If my agent had agreed to those terms I'd have fired him.

Probably the standard contract. I would assume there is actually quite a bit of overhead keeping track of all of the royalties for a zillion actors.

[uniman]

I remember an interview with David Cassidy where he said his contract while on the Partridge Family gave him 5% royalities on merchandise. After he had his lawer file a complaint he was given a check of about $800. 
So I believe they are being ripped off, big time.

[PLUNGER BOY]

 If my agent had agreed to those terms I'd have fired him.

   I didn't know you had a agent .          Is he a secret agent.       

[StatFreak]

I remember an interview with David Cassidy where he said his contract while on the Partridge Family gave him 5% royalities on merchandise. After he had his lawer file a complaint he was given a check of about $800.  
...

That much, huh?  

Okay, I'll admit it. I watched that Partridge Family when I was a kid, and I bought one or two of their records. Hey, I was a widdle kid back then.

Even as a little kid I knew that they didn't perform anything. (Okay, I cheated. I was a musician, so I could tell right away that they weren't playing their instruments and that they were lip syncing, even though I was only eight.) If I remember correctly someone named Wes Farrell was the songwriter and producer who really put it together, and although Shirley Jones and David Cassidy did sing, David Cassidy didn't sing on all of the songs.


<PS> I was hitting puberty by the time the show went off the air, so naturally, I watched the reruns to see Susan Dey. 

[StatFreak]

 If my agent had agreed to those terms I'd have fired him.

   
I didn't know you had a agent .          Is he a secret agent.       

I could tell ya', but then I'd have to...