The agreement was reached after WGA members working on Lost insisted that proposed mobisodes be guild-covered. Their stance was supported by members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA), and the three talent guilds coordinated negotiations with Touchstone. While the agreement covers mobisodes the network had ordered to supplement the Lost series, the new deal provides a flexible template for future negotiations, when the Companies and content creators address issues related to emerging technological platforms.

“This deal could not have been reached without the courage of our members who stood together and insisted that this work be guild-covered. As emerging technologies revolutionize the entertainment landscape, our members have been proactive to help define this bold new world,” said WGAw President Patric M. Verrone. “As a result of the solidarity of the WGA, SAG, and DGA, no guild was forced to take a lesser deal.”
 
“New delivery systems need content like the Lost mobisodes to survive. It's in all of our interests that these new technologies succeed. This deal is a perfect example of what can be achieved when the companies actually engage in dialogue regarding these issues,” said WGAE President Chris Albers.

“We applaud the leadership and vision of the WGA, led by Patric Verrone and David Young, and Touchstone Television, led by Mark Pedowitz, Barry Jossen, and Marc Sandman, for working together to forge this landmark agreement in the new technology area. I think all parties recognized that the key to success always comes down to the quality of the product. By coming to an agreement, the quality and integrity of the stories we tell in this new medium will be consistent with that of the network show,” said WGA member Carlton Cuse, a writer and executive producer on ABC's Lost.

The WGA agreement achieves the guilds' goals of coverage of this writing, providing minimums, residuals, pension and health benefits, and writing credit provisions. Use on cell phones after 13 weeks triggers a residual similar to the pay television residual in the guild's MBA of 1.2% of the license fee for such use. If the mobisode is distributed via the Internet the same residual of 1.2% of the distributor's share is payable if the viewer pays to access the mobisode; a 2.0% residual is payable if the Internet use is ad-supported.

The Writers Guild of America, west and the Writers Guild of America, East represent writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, and new media industries in both entertainment and news. The unions conduct numerous programs, seminars, and events throughout the world on issues of interest to, and on behalf of, writers.

Mobisodes Agreement (48kb .pdf)
Mobisodes Guidelines (56kb .pdf)