Draconian Contracts

[Paulo Barreto]

GIANFRANCO:

  }how is it possible
  }that Walt Disney co. does not pay royalties to writers and artists when
  }re-printing their stories?

        I can't develop an opinion about it unless I read the contracts
issued by Disney contributors.  I'm a writer to Brazilian edition of MAD
magazine (another publishing multinational corporation, of course) since
1993 and I'm used to sign some contracts every months.  All of them
clearly state that, since I am paid the total amount specified, the
company becomes the only owner of "the entire copyright relative to the
work, for they may commercially exploit, alter, use, unuse, publish,
transfer and/or licence it to third party, in part or as a whole,
according to their need or interest".

        Such contracts take place not only in Brazilian MAD, but also in
the U.S. and all international editions, as MAD always buys the material
instead of paying royalties.  Disney contributors should have signed
contracts granting Disney enough legal rights to print the material
under the "(c) Walt Disney Company" line.  I'm not defending Disney, but
in the real world it's absolutely legal, legitimate, socially accepted;
let unsatisfied artists and writers work elsewhere and start their own
competing multimedia empire.. :-)

           _____m__(0/(J\(B0)__m_____  P.C.Barreto
                                   mad at digi.ax.apc.org

----1111 * NT de que? N+o Trabalho! N+o Trabalho! N+o Trabalho!!!