LOS ANGELES (CN) - Comedian Marty Ingels claims he was gypped on the rights to a script about the life and times of Haym Solomon, a Jewish Polish immigrant who helped finance America's Revolutionary War. Ingels sued writer Bill Sachs in Superior Court.
Ingels says he sought out Sachs in April 2007 to help him produce the "Haym Solomon Project" as a TV miniseries or a feature film. Ingels says to avoid collective bargaining with the Writers Guild of America, Sachs was named a co-producer instead of a hired writer on the project.
Ingels and Sachs agreed to form a corporation and Ingels agreed in writing to pay $30,000 for the script plus $5,000 for travel and research - instead of the $80,000 that Sachs' agent demanded - by excluding Sachs' agent and avoiding Guild requirements, the complaint states.
After the script was completed, Sachs claimed the copyright, registered it with the Guild, and said he had not been paid because the corporation had not raised any money, according to complaint and attached memos between Sachs and Ingels' lawyer.
In an initial memo that Sachs allegedly sent to Ingels, framing the deal, Sachs wrote, "Most importantly, you can't say you signed me to write the script because that means you hired me and I will get in trouble with the Writers Guild."
The memo ends with a sketch of a bird, not with Sachs' signature.
Ingels alleges fraud and seeks damages, including the $35,000 he claims to have lost. He is represented by Robert Klein.
Subscribe to Closing Arguments
Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.
Additional Reads
-
Alaska, Hawaiian Airlines April 17, 2024 -
-
Contributor-Test-Post-2024-04-12 April 12, 2024 -
