The personal service agreement is a primary legal instrument in the entertainment industry. This agreement is negotiated between an artist and a company that manufactures, promotes, and distributes the artist's goods or services. The agreement often binds the artist to produce for one company for a certain period of time. Personal service agreements are often governed by statutes, and are often the subject of litigation because they restrict the rights of artists to perform or create for any entity except the company with whom they have contracted.
The Screen Actors Guild is the nation’s primary labor union representing actors. With 20 branches nationwide, SAG represents nearly 120,000 actors in film, television, industrials, commercials and music videos. The Guild lobbies on behalf of actors’ working conditions, compensation and benefits, and artists’ rights. SAG is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
