Special: Directors UK A former hiredDisney The General Counsel is hopeful that there will be fruitful negotiations with the major US players regarding royalties.
Peter Wiley joins today and has extensive experience working for US majors, having been Disney’s European General Counsel from 2005 to 2015 and then International General Counsel from 2016 to 2023.
He took the lead in both roles Legal The teams support Disney’s film and TV businesses, overseeing local production, licensing, linear broadcasting and D2C distribution. Before joining Disney, he worked for the London law firm Frere Cholmeley Bischoff.
Wylie will work closely with Andy Harrow, who runs Directors UK, an organization which represents more than 8,000 members and collects royalties on their behalf.
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Willie’s arrival comes a few weeks later Deadline revealed that the directors had written to the UK Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery seeks royalties for its members. DUK’s letter says the body could potentially freeze its members’ copyrights in the future if they don’t come to the table and try to strike a deal, we were told, and we understand streamers are considering their responses. DUK, UK broadcasters, Sky and producer trade body Pact already have a deal, under which DUK is paid royalties for distribution to its members. No such blanket deal exists with streaming services, and this is what DUK is aiming for.
Harrow said of Willie: “With years of experience as an in-house lawyer in the broadcasting and media industry, Peter brings with him legal expertise and professional judgment that will be invaluable to the organization as we continue to protect the rights of directors. UK. The performance of our industry.” His in-depth knowledge is a great asset to us and our members.”
Wylie added: “The work that Directors UK does for its members and the directing community is vital, and I look forward to working with Andy and his team to ensure that directors are respected, valued and supported.”
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