Warner Bros. Discovery is suing Amazon MGM Studios, accusing the studio of “inducing contracted employees to breach their employment agreements.”
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County, the media conglomerate claimed the tech giant is “riding on the coattails of other well-established Hollywood mainstays” to build their entertainment-production workforce and likened it to a “digital bull in a china shop.” The suit specifically cites the departure of HBO Max executive Pia Barlow as the latest example, who joined Amazon as vice president of series marketing. Barlow’s departure from Warner Bros. Discovery was announced on Friday.
“In recent months, Amazon has openly embarked upon an unlawful course against multiple of WBD’s subsidiaries (including, without limitation, [Warner Media Services]) by hurriedly seeking to pirate away a number of contracted employees before this Court can intervene,” the lawsuit states. “In blatant disregard of established California law, Amazon has gone rogue by attempting to induce Plaintiffs’ employees with term employment agreements to breach those agreements with impunity, backed up with the ready assurance that Amazon will defend and indemnify them should they be held to account for their blatantly unlawful acts.”
Barlow served as HBO Max’s VP of originals marketing, where she led campaigns for some of the platform’s biggest titles, including “The Pitt,” “House of the Dragon,” “Hacks” and “Harry Potter.” The complaint notes that Barlow’s contract was not set to expire until Oct. 31, 2027.
“Barlow was employed pursuant to a valid, fully enforceable term employment agreement whereby Barlow freely and expressly committed to remain employed
with WMS for the duration of the term,” the lawsuit states. It then goes on to claim that Amazon “brazenly and deliberately” persuaded Barlow to breach her employment agreement with WMS “more than 16 months before its expiration.”
In addition to alleging that Amazon caused Barlow to breach her contract, the suit claims that it promised her it would defend, indemnify and pay for legal representation in the event of a lawsuit from WBD.
In addition to Barlow, WBD claims that Amazon attempted to cause another one of its executives to breach their employment agreement, which is set to expire in December of 2027. However, the company was unsuccessful at recruiting that executive.
“By its word and actions, Amazon has signaled that it has absolutely no
intention of complying with the law and thus its intent to openly and defiantly pursue this lawless course of action by inducing Plaintiffs’ employees (including Barlow) who have expressly agreed to remain employed for the duration of their contracts to breach such agreements,” WBD’s attorneys said. “Amazon must be stopped; it should not be permitted to profit from its illegal and tortious behavior.”
WBD seeking damages as well as a preliminary and permanent injunction to prohibit Amazon from hiring any of their employees with term agreements prior to their expiration. An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment.
This isn’t the first time a massive legacy media company sued a tech giant over allegedly poaching an executive. Last year, Disney sued YouTube in an attempt to block the company’s hiring of former Disney executive Justin Connolly. The dispute was settled out of court, and Connolly is currently working as YouTube’s Global Head of Media and Sports.
