Update On Raven & Buff Bagwell's Lawsuit Against WWE
The legal dispute over Network royalty payments continues.
Former WWE superstars Raven and Buff Bagwell have filed an amended version of their ongoing lawsuit against the company, as per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
The suit's basis is that WWE breached the plaintiffs' contracts by not paying royalties on WWE Network appearances, as talents are contractually entitled to receive payment from direct sales to consumers, such as pay-per-views, merchandise, etc.
Raven's WWE contract from June 2000 defines "direct sales" as "... including without limitation, at the arena, via mail order sales or directly on television, or via the internet." He argues that streaming media should fall under this category, and cites another contract provision stating he'd receive royalties on "video cassettes, videodiscs, CD-Rom or other technology, including technology not yet created."
Raven's amendment states that talent should be paid for the Network using the same royalty rate they'd receive from PPV and video sales, and that WCW and ECW tape libraries should also fall under this umbrella.
WWE's counter argument is that the Network isn't a physical product, and a subscription is merely a licence to watch WWE material, so royalties aren't applicable. The company filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit in December 2016, but the battle continues.