Legal Niches

?Hobbit Bill? Contains Videogame Language

By pete_gallagher

New Zealand's 'Hobbit Bill,' legislation designed to keep production of two Warner Bros. films based on  The Hobbit in the country, also has language pertaining to videogame makers.

Amendments to the Employment Relations Act 2000 states that workers involved with film production work 'will be independent contractors rather than employees, unless they choose to be employees by entering into an agreement that provides that they are employees.'

The legislation came about, according to the New York Times, in response to a small actors' union, the New Zealand Actors Equity, demanding that 'producers bargain collectively with actors on the films.'
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Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on October 29, 2010 (boomark / email).