Can Sci-Fi really do this ????

[-PITBULL-]

Ok I just found read the article on GATWORLD.COM about how MGM wants to take SG-1 and make it into a franchise , Witch sounds sweet ... They are also still looking for a enw home for SG-1 ...

But then i read that some Jerk from Sci-Fi says " There is not going to be [an 11th season] on U.S. television," Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of programming, told Multichannel flatly. "Our contract with MGM prohibits it."

What the heck is that all about , Can Sci-Fi really have a CONTRACT that would stop MGM from creating anymore of there own SHOWS ?

If s could MGM just recreate STARGATE SG-1 with STARGATE COMMAND ....

Or maybe have SG-1 season 11 on I-tunes , and Comcast On-Demand for a SMALL Fee ...

I know i wouldnt mind paying a small fee of 7.99 Per month for a subsription of STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS and what ever Spin off series they came up with ... I think it would do great that way ...

[Ra's mom]

to tell you the truth all ive heard about all of this so far just sounds like rumors, i dont think anyone is sure yet on what is going to happen.

[takinspace]

It's very possible.

A lot of people seem to have trouble wrapping their heads around this so I'll throw two things out:

(1) It has been done before and (apparently) is done routinely. One notable example in scifi space is TNT's cancellation of Crusade, whose terms kept the show from being taken up by another channel unless TNT said so (TNT never said so, so the show died; Sci-Fi wanted to buy it but TNT said no).

(2) This is similar to noncompete provisions in employment contracts (for those asking how someone can stop someone else when the contract is "cancelled"). A noncompete says something like "after employment is terminated, you can't go work for someone doing the same thing for X amount of time." Noncompetes are enforceable (and have been enforced in the courts). Note that Sci-Fi did not cancel the contract. They cancelled the broadcast of SG-1. The contract is still very much alive.

Anyway, hope this helps, and for those who continue to say it's impossible... well, hope you never sign a noncompete.

[rarocks24]

Ok I just found read the article on GATWORLD.COM about how MGM wants to take SG-1 and make it into a franchise , Witch sounds sweet ... They are also still looking for a enw home for SG-1 ...

But then i read that some Jerk from Sci-Fi says " There is not going to be [an 11th season] on U.S. television," Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of programming, told Multichannel flatly. "Our contract with MGM prohibits it."

What the heck is that all about , Can Sci-Fi really have a CONTRACT that would stop MGM from creating anymore of there own SHOWS ?

If s could MGM just recreate STARGATE SG-1 with STARGATE COMMAND ....

Or maybe have SG-1 season 11 on I-tunes , and Comcast On-Demand for a SMALL Fee ...

I know i wouldnt mind paying a small fee of 7.99 Per month for a subsription of STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS and what ever Spin off series they came up with ... I think it would do great that way ...

SciFi likes to be in control of stuff. If they don't want it, they don't want anyone else to have it. I'm curious as to how much breaking the contract would be worth...and whether TPTB can afford it. IOU to Spike. Assuming that's even in their contract.

Yes, they can.

The contract would go like this

SciFi Channel reserves the right to air the series SG1 and Atlantis and all episodes produced for airing on SciFi channel belong to SciFi. Stargate SG1 is a partnership with SciFi (yeah, right), and reserves the right to determine whether the show continues or ends.

[rarocks24]

This is similar to noncompete provisions in employment contracts (for those asking how someone can stop someone else when the contract is "cancelled"). A noncompete says something like "after employment is terminated, you can't go work for someone doing the same thing for X amount of time." Noncompetes are enforceable (and have been enforced in the courts). Note that Sci-Fi did not cancel the contract. They cancelled the broadcast of SG-1. The contract is still very much alive.

Yes, theyd didn't cancel the contract, merely the showing, because they don't want anyone to profit. If SG1 and Atlantis went to another station, they figure they'd lose more customers than if they prevented SG1 from airing while keeping the contract active.

[-PITBULL-]

Yes, theyd didn't cancel the contract, merely the showing, because they don't want anyone to profit. If SG1 and Atlantis went to another station, they figure they'd lose more customers than if they prevented SG1 from airing while keeping the contract active.

Then i wonder how much it would coast MGM to buy out that contract ...

And if anuff fans could buy out that Contract for MGM , or something like Stock in the STARGATE Franchise to help out MGM Buy out that Contract ...

[.Aaron]

to tell you the truth all ive heard about all of this so far just sounds like rumors, i dont think anyone is sure yet on what is going to happen.

I think you are right. I don't think anyone is sure what is going to happen. I can just tell you from what I have seen Cooper is trying really hard to keep the show going.

[takinspace]

Then i wonder how much it would coast MGM to buy out that contract ...

That's a very real question. In fact, there's probably a buyout provision *in* the contract; most well, um, "lawyered" contracts have termination provisions. But we're never going to see those kinds of details in public...

[-PITBULL-]

That's a very real question. In fact, there's probably a buyout provision *in* the contract; most well, um, "lawyered" contracts have termination provisions. But we're never going to see those kinds of details in public...

Why , MGM might want to take this public , This could help them out alot for fight for the buy out .. Plus arent all contracts Public information ?

[Icon]

That would be interesting if fans could help in buying out SG contract. Is MGM a publicly traded company. It would be funny if on Monday morning if its stock shot up

[takinspace]

Why , MGM might want to take this public , This could help them out alot for fight for the buy out .. Plus arent all contracts Public information ?

All contracts are definitely *not* public information!!! Not by a long shot!!! Good example: I can't go read my neighbor's car loan papers (which are a contract). Not unless he gives them to me, at least.

As far as the why, many contracts contain proprietary, confidential, or other information that a competitor or customer could use to bargain or otherwise leverage against them. Some even contain stuff that will get people in trouble but that's a whole other story

Anyway, the bargain/leverage example: You find out Sci-Fi got SG-1 for a lump sum of $50 million. You go, "crap, that's cheap, I won't pay MGM more than $60 million if they come to me!" That's a really simplified example, but you get the idea.

[rarocks24]

No.

AFAIK, Any contract you sign is available to you, and to your lawyer and to the courts, other than that, you can't ask to see a contract that you aren't either a part of...

But I'm only starting on Law now so...

[ahdvd]

Basically, MGM can make new episodes of the show at their own expense, but if they want to air it anywhere in the united states on a tv network, then they have to get the permission from sci-fi (who probably have it worded in somewhere in that essentially they get first dibs). Now that means that they could produce it and show it anywhere elase in the world, AND release it on DVD anywhere (US Included) and they would be well within their rights.

[takinspace]

...and to the courts...

... and then only if they either ask for them or have 'em thrown at them...

[rarocks24]

Depends. If you break contract, the courts are going to have to know why you broke contract.

It's sad though that Extortion and blackmail survive via one word: contract. All the people that were sued by the RIAA and settled out of court were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements being one such example.