SAG Foreign Royalty Class Action Settlement

If you performed in a motion picture or other work that has earned foreign royalties, you rights may be affected by a proposed class action lawsuit settlement. The Screen Actors Guild has agreed to settle a 2007 class action lawsuit over its alleged failure to distribute of millions of dollars in foreign royalties to actors. The settlement will provide more than 20 years of royalties to these performers for DVD rentals, cable shows and blank media generated in Europe. Tens of thousands of actors are expected to be able to file claims for the estimated $8 million in back royalties they’re owed.

The SAG Foreign Royalty Class Action Lawsuit was brought in 2007 by Ken Osmond, the actor who played Eddie Haskell on “Leave it to Beaver.” The class action questioned SAG’s authority to collect these royalties and asserted that SAG failed to properly distribute the monies to performers. SAG continues to deny these claims, and has, to date, distributed more than $7 million in foreign royalties to SAG performers.

Under the class action lawsuit settlement, SAG has agreed to hire independent consultants to review its foreign levies program and recommend a schedule for repayment of outstanding royalties, which is estimated to be nearly $8 million. It will also post on its website a bi-monthly list of performers for whom at least $10 in foreign royalties are owed but have not yet been paid.

The dates to opt out of the settlement or to object have not been determined yet, nor has a website been set up yet to direct class members what to do. We’ll keep you posted when this information becomes available. In the meantime, check out the class action settlement documents for more information on the SAG Foreign Royalty Class Action Lawsuit Settlement.