Three class action lawsuits against Sony, Disney, DreamWorks and other animation studios accusing the companies of unfairly keeping wages low have been consolidated, say reports.
Three digital artists are spearheading their newly-combined lawsuit that claims the studios violated antitrust rules by forming non-poaching agreements between each other. By vowing not to hire each other’s employees, plaintiffs say, the defendants “deprived Plaintiffs and other class members of millions of dollars in compensation” despite billions of dollars in revenue made by the firms.
The plaintiffs are seeking a jury trial.
According to reports, the amended filing reveals new details as to who, exactly, the plaintiffs are accusing of the collusion.
According to court documents, DreamWorks’ Head of Production and Technology allegedly emailed the heads of human resources at Pixar, Sony Pictures, Disney and other studios in 2009 to discuss how overtime compensation was handled.
”No studio acting in its own independent self-interest in the absence of a conspiracy to suppress compensation would share this kind of compensation information, let alone with such a large group of competitors. Such behavior only makes sense in the context of a conspiracy to suppress compensation,” the filing says.
The consolidated class action follows earlier lawsuits filed against other studios for similar non-poaching claims.
Full content: Deadline
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
Senators Urged to Expedite Gail Slater’s Confirmation as DOJ Antitrust Chief
Feb 11, 2025 by
CPI
Former Michigan Asphalt Executive Pleads Guilty in Bid-Rigging Scheme
Feb 11, 2025 by
CPI
Ballard Spahr Expands Litigation Team with Addition of Antitrust Attorney in Seattle
Feb 11, 2025 by
CPI
Portuguese Court Overturns €225 Million Fine for Banking Collusion Due to Statute of Limitations
Feb 11, 2025 by
CPI
Binance and SEC Request Stay in Crypto Lawsuit Amid New Regulatory Task Force
Feb 11, 2025 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – International Criminal Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
CPI
The Antitrust Division’s Recent Work to Combat International Cartels
Jan 23, 2025 by
Emma Burnham & Benjamin Christenson
Information Sharing: The New Frontier of U.S. Antitrust Enforcement
Jan 23, 2025 by
Brian P. Quinn, Casey Kovarik & Michael Tubach
The Key Role of Guidelines on Exchanges of Information Among Competitors and the Divergent Transatlantic Paths
Jan 23, 2025 by
Rosa Abrantes-Metz & Albert Metz
Leniency, Whistleblowers, and Compliance
Jan 23, 2025 by
Richard Powers, Tara O’Malley & Cory Gordon