Kevin, I have a response to that, but I fear it is antihistimine speaking and not me. So I'll wait for coffee and a shower to clear it.

I wrote a blog post about the strike, and supporting it as a writer. And wanting to kick the NYT andc Variety writers who sneered at the WGA writers right in the teeth.

And then I didn't post it because it was too angry, and I'd like to dial it down to shriftian levels of rage.

I think that was more about protecting this site from liability.

Cause, you know, when you download something for free, it's piracy.

Of course, when the studios give it away for "free," it's "promotional."

Well, I think they're actually justified in taking that position with the end users/viewers (though not with denying the writers their fair share). There's a world of difference between me offering to give someone a roll off my plate and them snatching it without asking as they pass by my table.

It was a little bit more complicated than that, IIRC.

It was, of course - I should have worded that better.

What's interesting about the WGA video explaining the strike is that I had thought the AMPTP wasn't offering anything for new media, but it looks like they are offering the DVD rate of four cents, but the WGA isn't taking it. And understandably so, because the AMPTP gets to reap a higher percentage of profit than they do on DVDs while not giving the writers any more. Fair share, guys! Fair share!

Also, can someone explain the four cents to me? I bought Season Three of The Office for whatever it was, thirtysomething dollars. Now, how does the four cents work? Is it four cents per purchase that gets distributed equally to all writers whose work is featured? Four cents that gets distributed to individual writers based on number of episodes they wrote? Four cents for each episode's writer (so that Aaron Sorkin would make, like, a whole dollar from a Sports Night set)?

Well, plus, dvds are probably going to be phased out - so it's easy for them to let them have dvds. And easy to see why the writers don't want to be screwed over for rights on internet and on demand plays.

dvds are probably going to be phased out

In what time period? I'd think (assuming Blu-Ray and its ilk are covered) they'll be around for at least the lifetime of videos...and it seems silly to have to renegotiate for each technology breakthrough, I just realised.

Slow.

I know. They need to figure out a formula or language that could be adapted to new media as it happens.

The excellent Televisionary has an update on many show's production status, here: [link]

I wish someone would take that information and put it into a format where we could see when the last new episode of each series would air, so it becomes apparent how exactly the television schedule becomes fucked.