Page 30 - RICHERT VS. SORKIN THEFT OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND THE WEST WING

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8955 BEVERTY Bouleveno . WEsr Hollywooo, Celrromre c)co4€.-2456 3ro.550. tooo FAX 31o.550.8185
VIA FAX AND MAIL September 29, 1995 To: William Richert
Kyle Morris Aaron Sorkin
Re: 'THE AMERICAN pREStDENT'
Dear Writers:
Thank you for participating in the pre-arbitration hearing held on Septem ber 7, 1995. This letter confirms and supplements recent tJlephone conversations
with you or your representatives cohcerning the outcome of this hearing.
Paragraph 4.6. of the Guild Policy on Credits in the Screen Credits Manual states that the writer of the original materiat is guaranteed an irreducible shared story credit in the event of a credit arbitration.
Direct Dial No. 310t205-2528
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Pursuant to its
authority under'the screen credits Manual, the special Committee carefully considered the evidence presented concerning the issues raised, including the applicability of the irreducible shared story minimum, the sequencing of the materialfor submission to the Arbitration Committee and the percentages of contribution necessary to receive screenplay credit.
Aaron Sorkin was represented at the hearing by his attorney nicnaiO Heller. iiicnarci Heiier testiflec, that since Uastte Rock pictures empioyed Aaron
to write an original screenplay, Aaron Sorkin should be Sorkin
considered the flrst writer and should therefore be entitted to the irreducible shared story credit
rather than William Richert & Kyle Morris. Richard Heller stated thai Aaron
sorkin was not assigned to rewrite
prior any material and did not have access to the
writers' materials untit the time of the arbitration. Richard Heller explained that Castle Rock only acquired the prior writers' materials from Universal Pictures for legal reqsons and to avoid having two fiims ; til."r" competing in the nrarketplace. By acquiring thlse earlier materials, ""i1".,
wa's then obligated to include these prior writers as participating
Castle Rock writers on the
Notice of 'l'entative
writing Credits. For these reasons, nicharJ Heller argued
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