For subscribers

Hollywood’s fight is your fight

There will be more battles over how to divide the intellectual property pie in all industries.

SAG-AFTRA members pose during a strike rally at New York's Times Square on July 25, 2023.

Screen Actors Guild members during a strike rally at New York's Times Square on July 25, 2023.

PHOTO: AFP

Rana Foroohar

Follow topic:

The most-frequently aired concern when it comes to

Hollywood’s current labour strikes

seems to be the risk of missing new episodes of our favourite shows. But worker unrest in media and entertainment is an early indicator of the sort of technology-driven business disruption that many other industries will soon face as well.

Actors and writers are striking for lots of reasons – pay, benefits, residuals and the effects of artificial intelligence on their business. But, in a core way, the fight is about the value of intangible assets and intellectual property like story ideas or digital images and voices, and the question of how that value should be shared.

Hollywood’s fight is your fight

Follow topic:

See more on