The Italian actors body Artisi 7607, which deals with the rights and residuals of thousands of actors and voice artists, is suing streaming service Netflix after failing to give out proper data surrounding payments.
The Rome-based body has said that they are aiming for action in a Rome court in order to “obtain adequate and proportionate compensation due by law to its artists”.
Artisi 7607 launched in 2010 and started collecting data in 2013. The collective has said that they have been trying to get Netflix to reveal their information for eight years, but their quest to figure out how much compensation is owed to their actors has so far not been achieved.
“We have been facing downward market practices for some time, but by holding firm positions in everyone’s interest, we have managed to obtain the right remuneration,” said Artisti 7607 president Cinzia Mascoli (via Deadline). “Many artists understand what we are doing and continue to choose us.”
Neri Marcore, one of Artisti 7607’s co-founding board members, has suggested that the body’s legal pursuit mirror the strikes that took place in Hollywood last year. “Artisti 7607 makes a necessary choice to defend the professional dignity not only of our artists but of the entire category,” he said.
Marcore added, “We don’t want to suffer obstructionist attitudes and accept negligible compensation from streaming platforms for the same reasons that motivated the recent actors’ strike and American screenwriters. We demand transparency on the data for the exploitation of audiovisual works and correct compensation.”
This actually marks the second time that Artisti 7607 is taking Netflix to court. Previously, the communications authority ordered both groups to negotiate again, although those talks have hit a barrier.
According to a Netflix spokesperson, the compensation for artists and performers is of the utmost importance for the streaming service, and an agreement has been made with another Italian collecting company, Nuovo Imaie.
“We have tried for a long time to reach an agreement with Artisti 7607, and we have provided them with all the information required by law, as recognized by Agcom in its decision last year,” they said. “Artisti 7607 has repeatedly rejected our offer of payment and while we hoped they would accept it, we are now awaiting the court’s decision.”
