Dear WGA Leadership,

Dear WGA Leadership,

I am writing to demand immediate and aggressive enforcement of our collective bargaining agreements regarding residuals for pirated clips distributed on social media platforms, including but not limited to YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

Under the WGA-West Minimum Basic Agreement (MBA) – and the parallel SAG-AFTRA and DGA Basic Agreements – studios must pay residuals for all covered television and theatrical motion pictures (including clips and compilations) that are “use[d]” on free-to-consumer new media platforms.

We believe studios are violating these obligations when third-party users upload clips or full episodes of our content. For example, when third-parties upload content on new media, YouTube gives studios a choice to either 1) take it down, or 2) monetize it with advertisements, and split the revenue with the platform. Studios overwhelmingly choose option 2 – earning billions from pirated clips. While the studios won’t publicize information, a 2024 YouTube report revealed that more than 90% of studios choose to monetize these pirated clips, earning more than $12 billion in ad revenue, including $3 billion in 2024 alone. See YouTube Copyright Transparency Report for 2024, transparencyreport.google.com/youtube-copyright/intro?hl=en. Other streaming platforms (like Instagram and TikTok) offer similarly lucrative deals.

In the streaming age, shows and clips often generate more online views in days than they did during their original airing. Yet, our investigation shows that the writers, performers, and directors of that content are receiving pennies – or nothing at all – for those millions of views. When studios license or monetize content on new media, they are “using” it under the Guild Agreements and must pay residuals. Their failure to do so has deprived members of tens of millions of dollars.

Our letters inform the Guilds of our findings and request that they investigate this widespread nonpayment, recover our unpaid residuals with interest, and stop ongoing nonpayment.

I stand with my fellow writers in demanding full transparency and payment.