Residuals, royalties and an end to “exploitative practices” should be enshrined into UK law, according to the Writers Guild of Great Britain (WGGB), which has issued a manifesto for the incoming government.
Alongside demands around AI and fair treatment, the WGGB’s ‘Putting Writers at the Heart of the Story’ document called for “an end to ‘in-perpetuity buy-out’ clauses and other exploitative practices, through legislation that requires fair remuneration for creators including royalties and residuals.”
The document comes a few months after the U.S. Writers Guild secured improved streaming residuals as part of its high-profile deal with the AMPTP. In the UK, however, Deadline revealed that Doctor Who had shifted away from a residual model for its writers after Disney+ came on board.
Since then, the WGGB in the UK has struck a first-of-its-kind deal over live-action scripted series with Netflix, along with landing a 10% pay rise and improved residuals with the BBC.
The WGGB didn’t flesh out its demand for the “fair remuneration legislation” but it was one of a large number contained in the manifesto, which also included “greater parity of earnings for those writing children’s and animated content” and “action to deter late payment of freelance writers.”
“Strengthened cultural test”
Intriguingly, the WGGB also called for a “strengthened ‘cultural test’ that recognises the importance of UK-based writers and storytellers when making work that qualifies for tax relief and other benefits,” a demand that speaks to the notion that the UK has become something of a production services industry for the U.S.
“Measures to ensure that UK talent, resources and intellectual property are protected in an increasingly global industry” was also included, along with “improved commissioning processes – including greater transparency around decision making.”
In the section on copyright and AI, the guild called for “clear labelling” on content that has been generated via AI. It also floated the establishment of a “new regulatory body to monitor and regulate AI expansion.”
The UK general election is taking place on July 4, and a change of government is predicted by the polls.
WGGB General Secretary Ellie Peers said: “Our members conjure the characters, worlds and stories that delight audiences, whether that’s on the page, stage, screen or across our airwaves. They provide the fuel that fires our creative industries, which in turn makes a major contribution to the UK economy. We call on whoever forms the next government to enshrine protections for writers on fair pay and fair treatment, ensure that the creative sector is sustainable and, in a world that is being transformed by AI, introduce robust protections on copyright.”
