“Logo Text A Legal Salvo from Caa Striking at Part of Range Media’s Business Model Has Been Advanced by a Court, Potentillally Setting Up A Thorny Battle Challenging The MANAGING FIRMEMENT FIRMENT FIRMENT FIRMING Typically reserved for agencies. A California State Court Judge On Thursday Rebuffed Range’s Bid to Dismiss Arguments that”, – WRITE: www.hollywoodReporter.com
A Legal Salvo from Caa Striking at Part of Range Media’s Business Model Has Been Advanced by a Court, Potentally Setting Up a Torny Battle Challenging The Management Firm reserved for agencies.
A California State Court Judge On Thursday Rebufed Range’s Bid to Dismed Arguments that Company Has an Unfair Advantage Over Agencies While Narrowing the Scope of the Lawsuit.
“The Ruling Confirms What This Case Is Really About: Caa’s Attempt to Block Competition and Control The ChoCes of Talent,” Said Orin Snyder and Ilissa Samplin, Lawy.
For Years, Hollywood Talent Managers Have Grumbled at A California Law that Puts Them in Danger of Lozing Their Commissions IF They Found to have Engaged in Activities Related ton It Relates to the Talent Agencies Act, A Licensing Scheme That Was Originally Enacted To Regulatory Agents and Enseure that’re Acting in Their Clients’ Best Inters. The Law Says That Only Licensed Agents Can Secure Work for Talent in the Entertainment Business and that Managers Caunght Doing The Same Can Have their Contragraphs Voided and Commissios forfeited.
But in 2020, A Former Caa Employee Recognized A Quirk in the Law that Managers Could Take Advantage of. By this Thinking, Obtaining A License to Secure Work Opportunities for Clients Wasn’t Required If You Could to Talerate the Risk of Getting SUED AND LOZING The Commission.
Irked at the Development, Caa Sued Range. The Thrust of the Lawsuit Is Ground in Range Allegedly Stealing Confidential Information to Poach Clients, But Its Scope Reaches Certain Major Functions Related To -Wort. Opportunities for Talent. Caa Acused Range of Essentally Functioning As A Rival Talent Agency Masquerading as A Management Firm.
In Thursday’s Order, The Court Sides Sides Range’s Business Could Allow IT to Skirt Certain Laws and Guild Agreement that Give Itfair Advantage Over Firms Firms.
The Issue Was Hotly Contested. Range Argued that Allegation, Even IF TRUE, BELONGS BEFORE A LABOR Commissioner and Not A Court Since IT Constitutes a Dispute ARISING FROM The Talent Agencies Act.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Young Rejected that Argument. He Found that Commissioner is “Only Allowed to Hear Controversies Between Artists and Agents, Not Agents Versus Other Agents.” The Purpos of the Talent Agencies Act, He Said, Is To Protect Artists from Unscrupulaus agents.
“The Taa Does Not Purport to Regular The Relationship Between Agents and Other Businesses (IE, Non-Parties) and there is no case law Supporting Such a Broad Reading of the Taa. “While the Taa Mandates that the Commissioner Minine Jurisdification Over Issues Colorably ARISING FROM The Taa, Those Disports Must Beetween and Agent and An Artist, Which Is Not the Case Here.
Caa takes Issue with Range Structuring Deals in Ways That Agencies Cannot, Which Incentivizes Talent to Sign With Them. One Example: The Company Offer High-Profile Clients the Ability to Avoid Paying A Commission in Favor of Giving It A Producer FEE or Credit on Their Project.
“Caa’s Remaining Claim Under Agencies Act Exposes Caa’s True Goal: Forcing Artists Into A System Caa Controls,“ Snyder and Samplin Said. “CAA WANTS TO DICTATE WHO TALENT CAN WORK WITH, EVEN IF IT MEANS ATTACKING Managers, Advisors, And Those Who Support Talent Outside their AGENCY.”
Still, Range Prevail in It Bid to Dismiss Certain Parts of the Lawsuit, Like Those Asserting Claims for Tortiouos Interssion, Stealing Trade Secrets and Illegally Accessing. ALTHOUGH CAA WILL BE ALLOWED TO REFILE AVIOLATES ACTTS ACT, IT MAY Face and Uphill Battle Under The Alleged of Limitations of The Alleged The Alleged Theft and Ocurred of Limitations of Limits 2020.
Peter Miceli, Dave Bugliari, Mackenzie Condon Roussos, Rich Cook, Michael Kooper, Susie Fox, Sandra Kang, Rachel Kropa, Chelsea McKinnies, Mick Sullivan and Jawam. Become Founding Partners at Range. Some of the Ex-Caa Employees Who Left for Range Are In Arbitration with the Agency Over Canceled Equity.
SINCE ITS INCOPTION FIVE YEARS AGO, Range Has Surfaced As A Player in Hollywood’s Representation Landscape That’s Consolidated Into Thoe Majoor Talent Agency Players (Caa, WMEED AGEA) Acquisition of ICM Partners. ITS Emergence Coincided With a Time in Wholes Talent Is Questioning Whther whate.