Italian Cinema’s Battle with Netflix over residuals: Artisti 7607 Takes Legal Action

Some of the most prominent figures in Italian cinema are speaking out against Netflix. Elio Germano, Valerio Mastandrea, Neri Marcorè, and Claudio Santamaria, alongside thousands of local acting and dubbing talents, are part of the collecting company Artisti 7607, which has filed a lawsuit against the streaming platform in the civil court of Rome, demanding “adequate and proportionate compensation as stipulated by the law.”

For eight years, Artisti 7607 has been in negotiations with Netflix without the two parties reaching an agreement. According to the company, which was founded as a co-op more than a decade ago, the platform breaches European and national regulations concerning residuals owed to talents for their contributions to projects. Italian A-listers are taking legal action against the U.S. streaming giant for the same reasons that led actors and screenwriters in Hollywood to strike for six months last year: Netflix, like other platforms, provides only partial data needed to calculate compensation for artists. “Transparency is what we all demand,” remarked Neri Marcorè, a popular Italian film and TV actor.

In Italy, as in the United States and the rest of the world, most actors work with small roles in many productions or in commercials, music videos, and other audiovisual forms. A substantial part of these actors’ income does not come from individual engagements, but from the residuals accumulated over the years from various works they’ve participated in, particularly when these are widely broadcast on television or heavily viewed on platforms.

Math was easier before the advent of streaming services: residuals were based on television reruns. Depending on the broadcast time, channel, and viewership, determining the value of a commercial or movie was relatively straightforward. However, with the need to factor in how many times each individual film or episode has been viewed and reproduced across various platforms, this calculation has become far more complex. “Especially because we lack reliable data,” notes actor Elio Germano, emphasizing that “The figures we receive have significantly decreased.”

“Given this situation, Artisti 7607 has been compelled to turn to a regular court to seek compliance with the law,” stated the independent collecting company.

SOURCE: Variety https://variety.com/2024/streaming/global/netflix-sued-italy-local-actors-group-residuals-1235965071/