Business
California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role
ORLANDO, Florida. Throughout his three-year tenure as a parade performer at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, Zach Elefante has consistently held additional employment to supplement his income.
In contrast to the experiences of his colleagues at Disney’s parks in Orlando, Florida, where there is a limited number of skilled individuals available, the actors who portray Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and other cherished Disney characters in the California parks do not always receive a regular and predictable work schedule from the firm.
That is one of the reasons why Californian artists are currently organizing to form a union, more than forty years after their Florida counterparts did the same.
According to the California performers, Disney requires character performers to have open availability but does not always provide them with set work hours as a result.
AP – VOR News Image
California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role
“Many performers believe that if they do not make themselves fully available, they will not be cast in shows…” “This will have a ripple effect on other occupations that are necessary for our livelihood in this region,” stated Elefante, a resident of Santa Ana, California.
In recent weeks, the California character performers, along with the Actors’ Equity Association union representing them, announced that they have submitted a formal request for union certification.
In this instance, a different union is carrying out the organizing efforts, and they are happening at a different time. Consequently, it is expected that the California character and parade performers will likely not encounter the same level of animosity that the Disney actors in Florida have had with their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The relationship between the performers that bring enchantment to the Magic Kingdom and the Teamsters, a union originally established for transportation and warehouse employees with strong connections to organized crime until the late 1980s, has been tumultuous during the past forty years in Florida.
What is the reason for the California character performers organizing now, several decades after their Florida counterparts? In contrast to Florida, where being a character actor is typically a full-time occupation, many character performers in Southern California have many other engagements, frequently in Hollywood films and television.
Elefante entertains audiences at Universal Studios Hollywood and also serves as a tour guide for the movie studios. Chase Thomas not only performs in the “Fantasmic!” show at Disneyland but also holds the position of director of operations for a theatrical festival. Before this, he worked as a visual effects coordinator and an entertainment licensing agent.
Angela Nichols relocated to California to pursue a career as a television writer. In addition to her role as an entertainment presenter at Disneyland, she frequently engages in writing activities. At Disneyland, she supports the character performers by assisting them during customer interactions.
“Disney truly serves as a fundamental and essential element of the narratives that shape our cultural upbringing.” “The ability to observe individuals fully engaged in these narratives and experience them firsthand is enchanting,” Nichols stated. When we receive support as cast members and performers, we are able to achieve that.” Currently, we are not adequately prepared for success in the necessary manner.
Amidst the COVID-19 epidemic and recent actors’ and writers’ strikes, the character performers sought a more reliable schedule at Disneyland following its yearlong hiatus due to the pandemic. The pandemic has heightened their awareness of health and safety issues, such as embracing guests or maintaining hygienic costumes.
PBS – VOR News Image
California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role
The majority of the workforce at the Disneyland Resort in Southern California, which exceeds 35,000 employees, were already part of a labor union. The parades and character department members were included in this group.
“Many cast members aspire to pursue this as a full-time career and succeed,” Thomas stated.
In contrast to their colleagues in Florida, the character actors in California are being organized by a specialized union dedicated to entertainers. Officials of the Actors’ Equity Association possess a deep understanding of the distinctive requirements of theme park performers, which may be challenging for other labor unions to comprehend.
Before a new stage show, it is necessary to conduct tests on the shoes of the costumes to ensure that the actors do not encounter any accidents, such as tripping or slipping while on stage. Union representatives ensure that “face performers,” with visible faces, such as Cinderella, have appropriate cosmetics and verify the availability of ice packs for procession dancers to alleviate knee soreness.
The persistent issue of unclean costumes was a primary motivation for Florida artists to seek organization with the Teamsters in the early 1980s. Additional factors comprised of children striking Disney antagonists, such as Captain Hook in the lower legs and adults reaching for the chests of actors portraying Mickey Mouse to ascertain the gender of the individual within.
Ensuring the cleanliness of costumes was of utmost importance to the character performers in Florida. Over twenty years ago, the Teamsters effectively negotiated a contract language that designated specific underwear for each performer. The performers allowed these undergarments to be taken home for washing purposes. This measure was implemented after instances of pubic lice and scabies were transmitted through the shared clothing.
LA Times – VOR News Image
California Disney Characters Are Unionizing Decades After Florida Peers. Hollywood Plays A Role
In Florida, there has always been a conflict of cultures between the costumed character entertainers and the conventional leaders of the Teamsters Union, who represent truck drivers and warehouse workers. The drivers frequently regarded the performers as individuals leading enchanted existences, remunerated for adorning themselves in costumes on a daily basis, as if it were Halloween.
Tensions reached their climax in the late 2010s when a new leader of the local Teamsters unit in Orlando started singling out the costumed character performers for abuse. The character actors resisted, and the conflict escalated to James Hoffa, the then-leader of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who intervened.
Elefante in California is optimistic that union representation will provide artists with a platform to influence decisions regarding many matters, such as the oversized costumes that can lead to long-term injuries if not properly fitted, as well as the safety protocols for performing in parades during rainy weather.
“It is about having the opportunity to participate in the discussion and be included in the decision-making process from the standpoint of the performers,” Elefante stated.
SOURCE – (AP)
Business
Internet Archive Loses Major Copyright Case Court Rejects Their Arguments
The Internet Archive has lost a critical legal battle, potentially affecting the future of internet history. Today, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decided against the long-running digital archive, affirming a previous decision in Hachette v. Internet Archive, which determined that one of the Internet Archive’s book digitization initiatives infringed copyright law.
Notably, the appeals court’s ruling rejects the Internet Archive’s argument that its lending practices were shielded by the fair use doctrine, which permits for copyright infringement in certain circumstances, calling it “unpersuasive.”
In March 2020, the Internet Archive, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, launched the National Emergency Library, or NEL. The epidemic had forced library closures that prevented students, scholars, and readers from accessing millions of books, and the Internet Archive has stated that it was answering to calls from common people and other librarians to assist individuals at home in obtaining the books they required.
The NEL was an extension of the Open Library, an ongoing digital lending experiment in which the Internet Archive scans physical copies of library books and allows individuals to borrow digital versions as if they were conventional reading material rather than e-books. The Open Library lent the books to one person at a time—but the NEL eliminated this ratio requirement, allowing a large number of people to borrow each scanned book at once.
Shortly after its inception, the NEL faced criticism, with some authors claiming that it amounted to piracy. In response, after two months, the Internet Archive abandoned its emergency strategy and imposed lending caps. But the harm had been done. Major publishing giants, including Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, and Wiley, filed the complaint in June 2020.
In March 2023, the district court found in favour of the publishers. Judge John G. Koeltl determined that the Internet Archive had created “derivative works,” claiming that its copying and lending had “nothing transformative” to offer. Following the initial verdict in Hachette v. Internet Archive, the parties reached an agreement, the specifics of which have not been released; however, the archive has filed an appeal.
According to James Grimmelmann, a professor of digital and internet law at Cornell University, the ruling is “not terribly surprising” in light of recent court interpretations of fair use.
Internet Archive won the appeal
The Internet Archive won the appeal, but only narrowly. Although the Second Circuit upheld the district court’s first decision, it underlined that it did not regard the Internet Archive as a commercial business, emphasising that it was clearly a charitable organisation. Grimmelmann believes this is the appropriate decision: “I’m glad to see that the Second Circuit fixed that mistake.” (He joined an amicus brief in the appeal, saying that classifying the use as commercial was incorrect.)
“Today’s appellate decision upholds the rights of authors and publishers to license and be compensated for their books and other creative works, and reminds us in no uncertain terms that infringement is both costly and antithetical to the public interest,” Association of American Publishers president and CEO Maria A. Pallante said in a statement.
“If there was any doubt, the Court makes clear that under fair use jurisprudence there is nothing transformative about converting entire works into new formats without permission or appropriating the value of derivative works that are a key part of the author’s copyright bundle.”
In a statement, Internet Archive director of library services Chris Freeland expressed dismay with “today’s opinion about the Internet Archive’s digital lending of books that are electronically available elsewhere.” We are reviewing the court’s decision and will continue to defend libraries’ right to own, lend, and preserve books.
Dave Hansen, executive director of the Author’s Alliance, a nonprofit organisation that frequently advocates for increased digital access to books, also spoke out against the verdict. “The authors are researchers. “Authors read,” he says. “IA’s digital library assists authors in creating new works and encourages their desire to have their works read. This verdict may boost the bottom lines of the largest publishers and most well-known authors, but it will harm more people than it will help.
Difficult period for copyright law
The Internet Archive’s legal problems are not ended. In 2023, a collection of music labels, including Universal Music collection and Sony, sued the archive for copyright infringement on a music digitization project. That case is still working its way through the courts. The damages might total up to $400 million, posing an existential danger to the nonprofit.
The new ruling comes at a particularly difficult period for copyright law. There have been scores of copyright infringement cases filed against large AI businesses that provide generative AI tools in the last two years, and many of the defendants contend that the fair use doctrine protects their use of copyrighted data in AI training. Any big lawsuit in which judges reject fair use grounds is widely monitored.
It also comes at a time when the Internet Archive’s critical role in digital preservation is becoming increasingly apparent. The archive’s Wayback Machine, which catalogues website copies, has proven to be an invaluable resource for journalists, scholars, lawyers, and anybody interested in internet history. While there are other digital preservation programs, including national efforts by the US Library of Congress, there is nothing comparable available to the public.
Business
Hewlett Packard Won’t Drop Its UK $11 Billion Claim Against Tech Mogul Mike Lynch, Who Died When His Yacht Sank
LONDON — Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced Monday that it will not dismiss its U.K. claim for damages against the estate of British tech entrepreneur Mike Lynch, who died when his superyacht drowned last month.
In 2022, Britain’s High Court decided primarily to favor the US technology giant, which accused Lynch and his former finance director of fraud concerning its $11 billion acquisition of his software company Autonomy. Hewlett-Packard is seeking up to $4 billion in damages, and the judge is anticipated to make a ruling on the exact amount shortly.
AP News Image
Hewlett Packard Won’t Drop Its UK Claim Against Tech Mogul Mike Lynch, Who Died When His Yacht Sank
Mike perished when his yacht, the Bayesian, fell in a storm off Sicily on August 19. His widow, Angela Bacares, may now be liable for the damages.
Mike was acquitted in a separate US criminal trial of fraud and conspiracy in the agreement months before the sinking.
Hewlett Packard initially applauded its pricey 2011 acquisition of Lynch’s company but soon began to regret it. The corporation stated on Monday that it had “substantially succeeded” in its civil fraud allegations against Lynch and the former finance director, Sushovan Hussain.
“It is HPE’s intention to follow the proceedings through to their conclusion.”
However, the U.K. civil action judge has already concluded that the amount payable in damages will be “substantially less” than what the company is demanding.
The Lynch family’s spokesman declined to respond.
Mike and his daughter Hannah were among six passengers killed when the 56-meter (184-foot) luxury boat sank. One crew member, the boat’s chef, also perished, while 15 people escaped the accident. They gathered on the yacht to celebrate Lynch’s acquittal.
Hewlett Packard Won’t Drop Its UK Claim Against Tech Mogul Mike Lynch, Who Died When His Yacht Sank
Officials first reported that the boat was hit by a tornado over the water, known as a waterspout, but the weather phenomena was later identified as a downburst. Italian prosecutors are investigating the captain on possible accusations of manslaughter.
SOURCE | AP
Business
2024 | Elon Musk Hits Out At Judge Threatening To Suspend X In Brazil
Elon Musk has escalated his online attacks on a Supreme Court judge who has threatened to stop social media platform X in Brazil, labeling him “an evil dictator” in an ongoing battle between the two men.
Justice Alexandre de Moraes threatened to suspend X if Musk did not identify a new legal agent for the company in Brazil and pay any outstanding daily fines within 24 hours.
“Alexandre de Moraes is an evil dictator cosplaying as a judge,” the world’s richest person commented on X.
Elon Musk Hits Out At Judge Threatening To Suspend X In Brazil
Musk, who previously referred to de Moraes as “Darth Vader,” retweeted a statement from X’s Global Government Affairs team announcing that the judge’s “illegal demands and all related court filings” would be published in the coming days.
Brazil is a key market for social media networks. According to the Associated Press, around 40 million Brazilians, or roughly 18% of the population, use X at least once a month.
The trash-talking is the latest salvo in Musk’s spat with de Moraes, which revolves around free speech and alleged disinformation. X said earlier this month that it would suspend its business and lay off its employees in Brazil owing to what it described as “censorship orders” from the judge.
De Moraes had ordered the social media company to ban several X accounts he claimed were disseminating misinformation.
The most recent statement, signed by de Moraes, was also posted on the Supreme Court’s official X account, tagging both Musk and X’s Global Government Affairs account.
The Supreme Court statement was uploaded around 8:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, giving Musk till Thursday evening local time to answer.
‘Censorship Orders’
On August 17, X issued a lengthy statement announcing that it would be forced to suspend operations and terminate employees in Brazil due to de Moraes’ “censorship orders.”
“Despite our numerous appeals to the Supreme Court not being heard, the Brazilian public not being informed about these orders and our Brazilian staff having no responsibility or control over whether content is blocked on our platform, Moraes has chosen to threaten our staff in Brazil rather than respect the law or due process,” according to the statement from X.
Elon Musk Hits Out At Judge Threatening To Suspend X In Brazil
“As a result, to ensure the safety of our employees, we have decided to close our activity in Brazil, effective immediately. The X service remains available to Brazilians. We are profoundly saddened to have been compelled to make this decision. Alexandre de Moraes is exclusively responsible.
“Due to demands by ‘Justice’ Alexandre [de Moraes] in Brazil that would require us to break (in secret) Brazilian, Argentinian, American and international law, X has no choice but to close our local operations in Brazil,” he said on X’s website.
SOURCE | AP
-
Business4 weeks ago
Are You A Cash App User? You May Be Eligible For A Piece Of This $15 Million Settlement
-
Celebrity4 weeks ago
Liza Minnelli Is ‘Mad As Hell’ And Writing New Memoir
-
Business4 weeks ago
Susan Wojcicki, Former YouTube CEO And Longtime Google Executive, Has Died At 56
-
News4 weeks ago
Travis Scott Is Arrested At A Paris Hotel After Altercation With A Security Guard, Prosecutors Say
-
Sports4 weeks ago
Lydia Ko Finally Gets Her Olympic Gold. It Puts Her Into The LPGA Hall Of Fame
-
Business4 weeks ago
After A Rash Of Stolen Cars, Hyundai And Kia’s New Anti-Theft Software Is Showing Results