Report: WWE Issuing Fines For 3rd Party Social Media Posts

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

From Wrestling Inc:

"WWE is issuing “violations” to talent for tweets or Instagram posts naming any third party business, person, brand or charity, Wrestling Inc. has learned.

Wrestling Inc. has learned that the violations start with a warning, then a fine, and finally suspension. The company is claiming ownership of talent Twitter and Instagram accounts via a clause in their contracts that grants WWE the exclusive use of their likeness.

It has been made clear to talent who have complained that the current “flexibility” allowed in social media could be retracted by the company.

We first reported last September that Vince McMahon issued an edict stating that talent can no longer use platforms like Cameo and Twitch. Zelina Vega was released from the company last November due to fallout from her continuing to use platforms like Twitch and OnlyFans.

A recent study from LoveUX revealed how lucrative these social media posts. Their study estimated that Lana earned $625,922 off 59 sponsored posts in 2020 ($10,608 per post), while Mandy Rose garnered an estimated $490,104 off 71 sponsored posts ($6,902 per post)."

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Back in 1993, LA Kings owner Bruce McNall offered his players $1 million to do as they wish if they won the Stanley Cup. The NHL lost it’s mind and told him to read the CBA. He instructed them to read it.

There was a $10,000 fine for paying anyone anything above their contract. He was gonna dish out a million, he didn’t care about $10K.

[Facetious]

Don't promote 3rd party things. Do, however, continue to party in groups while maskless.

[markymark]

I dont think Dolph Ziggler will care lol.

[EoE: Well There's Your Problem]

Enjoying the shows? Too bad, here's another story reminding you of how much of a scummy company they are and how that doesn't change regardless of the quality of the shows.

[bob]

Be A Star Vince

[hotshotalex]

Will this effect Sami Zayn posting about Sami 4 Syria ?

[Final Countdown Jones]

Yeah, sure does make total sense that these independent contractors can't independently contract for paid promotions on social media. That makes good, reasonable sense. Surely, WWE wrestlers have a great freedom and work in a supportive company not seeking to take advantage of and obsessively control people in massive oversteps of boundary and reason.

[GuyOfOwnage]

The whole "we own the total rights to your likeness" clause sounds pretty damn sketchy to begin with.

[eJm]

Feb 15, 2021 17:48:54 GMT -5 Facetious said:

Don't promote 3rd party things. Do, however, continue to party in groups while maskless.

I mean, who needs rules for that when you can just hand responsibility to the state of Florida, a place with one of the highest COVID death rates in America (around 2,000 this month alone) and a COVID policy which cares about the economy more than people?

No, take away their ability to promote themselves as independent contractors, makes all the sense in the world.

[Final Countdown Jones]

Feb 15, 2021 18:13:11 GMT -5 eJm said:

Feb 15, 2021 17:48:54 GMT -5 Facetious said:

Don't promote 3rd party things. Do, however, continue to party in groups while maskless.

I mean, who needs rules for that when you can just hand responsibility to the state of Florida, a place with one of the highest COVID death rates in America (around 2,000 this month alone) and a COVID policy which cares about the economy more than people?

No, take away their ability to promote themselves as independent contractors, makes all the sense in the world.

It's depressing to me that you're on about the COVID stuff, which is big and important, only because I was ready for the posts about how they can't have a social media policy and can't tell people not to openly fight on social media and do a racism thing, but they can tell people not to do Hello Fresh plugs on Instagram. But the world is a different place now. A sadder place.

[Natural Born Farmer]

Fining your talent because other people are paying them to indirectly advertise your business is some genius shit. Attaboy Vince!

[The Rick Jericho]

I guess doing this gets your ass fined now.

Don't do it Titus!

[eJm]

Feb 15, 2021 18:16:20 GMT -5 Final Countdown Jones said:

Feb 15, 2021 18:13:11 GMT -5 eJm said:

I mean, who needs rules for that when you can just hand responsibility to the state of Florida, a place with one of the highest COVID death rates in America (around 2,000 this month alone) and a COVID policy which cares about the economy more than people?

No, take away their ability to promote themselves as independent contractors, makes all the sense in the world.

It's depressing to me that you're on about the COVID stuff, which is big and important, only because I was ready for the posts about how they can't have a social media policy and can't tell people not to openly fight on social media and do a racism thing, but they can tell people not to do Hello Fresh plugs on Instagram. But the world is a different place now. A sadder place.

F***, man, there is really still that in mind and the fact that so many people have gotten away with spreading misinformation and generally being assholes is still something I'll ride against but there also comes a point where you want someone up top to actually do something about it instead of have them on Zoom calls saying "You crazy kids, stop going to parties" with no teeth behind them.

The fact the teeth have been shown to external revenue sources is, quote honestly, f***ing depressing.

[Jaws the Shark]

Independent contractor status, everyone.

[They Adam Bradley]

I mean they signed the contract. They could of not signed the contract and just loved off the sponsorships. I don’t see how WWE is the bad guy here. You don’t like the terms, don’t sign that big $$ contract

[eJm]

Feb 15, 2021 18:24:54 GMT -5 They Adam Bradley said:

I mean they signed the contract. They could of not signed the contract and just loved off the sponsorships. I don’t see how WWE is the bad guy here. You don’t like the terms, don’t sign that big $$ contract

I mean, by all accounts, these are new terms being put into the present contracts they've had to re-sign so if you want to get technical, they didn't sign that.

[Cranjis McBasketball]

Feb 15, 2021 18:09:39 GMT -5 GuyOfOwnage said:

The whole "we own the total rights to your likeness" clause sounds pretty damn sketchy to begin with.

I think that’s actually more standard than people think. I’ve heard Penn Jillette talk about it. He and Teller signed an agreement saying, I’ll say Sony, owns their likeness in perpetuity for their movie Penn & Teller Get Killed, nothing ever came of it.

[Final Countdown Jones]

Feb 15, 2021 18:24:54 GMT -5 They Adam Bradley said:

I mean they signed the contract. They could of not signed the contract and just loved off the sponsorships. I don’t see how WWE is the bad guy here. You don’t like the terms, don’t sign that big $$ contract

Just because something is in a contract doesn't mean it's ethical, reasonable, or in some cases even legal. WWE is the bad guy here because this is an insane overstep and wreslting for a company does not make you an indentured serf to them. Even the people in charge bringing up the idea of "Hey we should stop allowing people who aren't technically even our employees to conduct any sort of business with anyone else or make some money off a protein powder sponsorship or advertising their own clothing lines on their own social media accounts" is supervillain shit.

[fw91]

Feb 15, 2021 18:24:54 GMT -5 They Adam Bradley said:

I mean they signed the contract. They could of not signed the contract and just loved off the sponsorships. I don’t see how WWE is the bad guy here. You don’t like the terms, don’t sign that big $$ contract

Nah. It really isn’t that cut and dry.