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Disney refusing to pay Alan Dean Foster royalties for Star Wars, Alien books

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  • MRP
    Persistent Member
    • Jul 19, 2016
    • 2025

    Disney refusing to pay Alan Dean Foster royalties for Star Wars, Alien books

    https://www.sfwa.org/2020/11/18/disney-must-pay/

    In short, when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and Fox Studios, they acquired the rights to Foster's novelizations of the films and sequels like Splinter of the Mind's Eye. They have kept the books in print, but not paid Foster any royalties. Their argument seems to be they acquired the rights to the products but not the former owners liabilities for the products (such as paying creators money owed for creating such products), which amounts to a load of crap essentially. Disney has ignored attempts to communicate about the issue form Foster, his agent and representation and the SFWA (Science Fiction Writers of America), so now the SFWA is going public to see if other authors have similar experiences with Disney (possibly a prelude for a class action lawsuit?).

    The linked article is to the SFWA page and includes Foster's open letter to Disney.

    -M
    "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato
  • palitoy
    live. laugh. lisa needs braces
    • Jun 16, 2001
    • 59176

    #2
    The idea that this isn't their liability is actually legally baffling. This is calculated, it's probably not a lot of money in the grand scheme of things and figure he won't spend the money to fight for it. This is corporate greed at it's worst and it's wrong.
    Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

    Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
    http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

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    • Bruce Banner
      HULK SMASH!
      • Apr 3, 2010
      • 4325

      #3
      That's disgraceful. I hope Foster is successful in fighting this.
      PUNY HUMANS!

      Comment

      • CrimsonGhost
        Often invisible
        • Jul 18, 2002
        • 3568

        #4
        I couldn’t be less shocked.
        Expectation is the death of discovery.

        Comment

        • Nostalgiabuff
          Muddling through
          • Oct 4, 2008
          • 11285

          #5
          that's really f'd up. Disney really needs to do the right thing here

          Comment

          • YoungOnce
            Career Member
            • Aug 29, 2007
            • 966

            #6
            I think the company has already taken a public relations hit lately for laying of 28,000 employees while also announcing a billion in investments in new rides and amusements for the parks. Heard some details on all that on the Len Testa/Jim Hill podcast... can't remember the article he sited.

            This company is such a behemoth now, they have to have the sense that they are invulnerable.

            Comment

            • MRP
              Persistent Member
              • Jul 19, 2016
              • 2025

              #7
              If Disney thinks a sale/purchase ends liabilities and monies owed, I hope someone licenses a bunch of Disney stuff then sells their company to someone else who continues to use the license for Disney properties without paying Disney for it, just to see how Disney's lawyers would react to that.

              -M
              "Opinion is the lowest form of human knowledge. It requires no accountability, no understanding." -Plato

              Comment

              • ODBJBG
                Permanent Member
                • May 15, 2009
                • 3143

                #8
                There is sort of precedent for this (it IS scummy by the way) but WWE does this with performers who worked in other companies that they've since bought, such as WCW and ECW. Certain performers were guaranteed royalties in WCW events, etc, if ever rebroadcast but WWE has won legal battles that basically they don't have to pay those since they bought the companies. So I'm sure Disney feels they have the same rights.

                It's really rotten business practice and to the surprise of no one, it's always huge gigantic mega corporations who have tons of money to spare who try to do this.

                Comment

                • phil
                  Persistent Member
                  • May 11, 2007
                  • 2078

                  #9
                  I doubt Foster is the only person being treated like this by Disney.

                  Comment

                  • LonnieFisher
                    Eloquent Member
                    • Jan 19, 2008
                    • 10809

                    #10
                    Seems like a good reason to not support any Disney products. I'm glad they are loosing millions and millions of dollars. Maybe even billions.

                    Comment

                    • CrimsonGhost
                      Often invisible
                      • Jul 18, 2002
                      • 3568

                      #11
                      If it only were public how many companies bought out other companies and refused to honor royalties, residuals, pensions, etc. Not just billion dollar media companies either.
                      Expectation is the death of discovery.

                      Comment

                      • thunderbolt
                        Hi Ernie!!!
                        • Feb 15, 2004
                        • 34211

                        #12
                        And putting lots of people out of work.

                        Originally posted by LonnieFisher
                        Seems like a good reason to not support any Disney products. I'm glad they are loosing millions and millions of dollars. Maybe even billions.
                        You must try to generate happiness within yourself. If you aren't happy in one place, chances are you won't be happy anyplace. -Ernie Banks

                        Comment

                        • jwyblejr
                          galactic yo-yo
                          • Apr 6, 2006
                          • 11138

                          #13
                          I'm wondering if him just admitting he wanted to retcon The Last Jedi had anything to do with it?

                          Comment

                          • Bruce Banner
                            HULK SMASH!
                            • Apr 3, 2010
                            • 4325

                            #14
                            Several other authors are also apparently affected by this Disney skullduggery, including:

                            Donald F. Glut (novelization for The Empire Strikes Back)
                            James Kahn (novelizations for Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
                            Rob MacGregor (novelization for The Last Crusade)
                            Michael A. Stackpole (various SW novels)

                            Disney really needs to make things right here.
                            PUNY HUMANS!

                            Comment

                            • YoungOnce
                              Career Member
                              • Aug 29, 2007
                              • 966

                              #15
                              Even as a long-time fan of Disney's brand of family entertainement, I can see that the corporation has gotten so big that it can run roughshod over anybody it wants.

                              Comment

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