Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
10-08-10, 02:22 PM
#1
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Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
Caitlin Sanchez, voice of Nickelodeon hit 'Dora the Explorer,' claims she was exploited by producers...
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Caitlin Sanchez, 14, of New Jersey, alleges Nickelodeon has failed to pay her for DVD sales, repeat fees and other spin-off profits.
The cartoon, about the adventures of a helpful seven-year-old Hispanic girl and her animal friends, is shown in 151 countries in 30 languages.
Nickelodeon claims it has generated $11 billion in global sales since 2000, with 65 million Fisher Price Dora toys, 50 million books and 20 million DVDs sold.
Caitlin, who was paid more than $5,000 an episode after taking the role in 2007, claims executives promised she would share in these huge revenues.
Instead the "convoluted payment deduction clauses" and "free services provisions" mean that she did not receive "many million dollars" she expected, the lawsuit alleges.
The 14-year-old, who lost the role after she reached puberty and her voice changed, also claims she was not paid for hundreds of hours of promotional work.
Her 35-page lawsuit against Nickelodeon and its owners, MTV and Viacom, alleges she signed an "unconscionable" contract without the advice of a lawyer.
Caitlin, her parents and her allegedly inexperienced agent were given 22 minutes to sign the deal (a 14-page contract) without a lawyer, or face losing the chance of the job, the legal action claims.
A Nickelodeon spokesman described the claims as "baseless" and said: "She was well compensated for her work and for personal appearances."
The cartoon, about the adventures of a helpful seven-year-old Hispanic girl and her animal friends, is shown in 151 countries in 30 languages.
Nickelodeon claims it has generated $11 billion in global sales since 2000, with 65 million Fisher Price Dora toys, 50 million books and 20 million DVDs sold.
Caitlin, who was paid more than $5,000 an episode after taking the role in 2007, claims executives promised she would share in these huge revenues.
Instead the "convoluted payment deduction clauses" and "free services provisions" mean that she did not receive "many million dollars" she expected, the lawsuit alleges.
The 14-year-old, who lost the role after she reached puberty and her voice changed, also claims she was not paid for hundreds of hours of promotional work.
Her 35-page lawsuit against Nickelodeon and its owners, MTV and Viacom, alleges she signed an "unconscionable" contract without the advice of a lawyer.
Caitlin, her parents and her allegedly inexperienced agent were given 22 minutes to sign the deal (a 14-page contract) without a lawyer, or face losing the chance of the job, the legal action claims.
A Nickelodeon spokesman described the claims as "baseless" and said: "She was well compensated for her work and for personal appearances."
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10-08-10, 03:57 PM
#2
DVD Talk God
Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
i don't condone what Nickelodeon did if they gave her only a few minutes to sign a contract, but would it kill the fucking parents and/or agent to have an attorney with them to sign a contract. that's ridiculously stupid.
10-08-10, 03:59 PM
#3
Moderator
Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
Having watched more than my share of the show, she's not that great of a voice actor and pretty much had nil to do with the success of the program.
10-08-10, 04:22 PM
#4
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Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
$5k per episode. Isn't that good pay already just for her voice and as Groucho pointed out not much of a factor in the success of the program? How long can it possibly take to do 1 episode anyway?
10-08-10, 05:41 PM
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Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
It probably wouldn't have killed Nickelodeon to treat her better, but I certainly hope this isn't very successful. They should kick a little money in a trust for her (5-figure range) and settle this out.
10-08-10, 08:02 PM
#6
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Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
According to a different article I read earlier, she was paid $40 a day for personal appearances which is pretty pathetic. So there is probably some merit to this, but I don't think she's entitled to profits. A nice settlement should do fine.
10-08-10, 08:26 PM
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Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
She's not even the first voice actress to voice Dora, a girl named Kathleen Herles was the first and quit when puberty hit.
According to a different article I read earlier, she was paid $40 a day for personal appearances which is pretty pathetic. So there is probably some merit to this, but I don't think she's entitled to profits. A nice settlement should do fine.
According to a different article I read earlier, she was paid $40 a day for personal appearances which is pretty pathetic. So there is probably some merit to this, but I don't think she's entitled to profits. A nice settlement should do fine.
10-09-10, 01:19 AM
#9
DVD Talk Godfather
Re: Dora the Explorer sues Nickelodeon
Not the same article I read earlier but here's a similar one with more details.
If any of that's true, it sounds like she has a decent case.
While she made $5,115 per episode, she wasn’t paid or was grossly undercompensated for at least 160 extra hours of recording work, and at least 400 hours of promotions, marketing and interviews, her lawsuit said.
While traveling the country to talk up the show, she got only $40 a day, it said.
She also wasn’t paid her due share of profits from Dora merchandise and her residuals, or rerun fees, for at least 325 airings of her “Dora” episodes
While traveling the country to talk up the show, she got only $40 a day, it said.
She also wasn’t paid her due share of profits from Dora merchandise and her residuals, or rerun fees, for at least 325 airings of her “Dora” episodes
