EXCLUSIVE: Directors UK has hired an ex-Disney General Counsel ahead of what it hopes will be fruitful negotiations with big U.S. players over royalties.
Peter Wiley joins today and has plenty experience working for U.S. majors, having been Disney’s European General Counsel from 2005 to 2015 and then International General Counsel from 2016 to 2023.
In both roles he led the legal teams supporting Disney’s film and TV businesses, overseeing local production, licensing, linear broadcasting and D2C distribution. Prior to joining Disney, he worked for London law firm Frere Cholmeley Bischoff.
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Wiley will work closely with Andy Harrower, who runs Directors UK, a body that represents more than 8,000 members and collects royalties on their behalf.
Watch on Deadline
Wiley’s arrival comes a few weeks after Deadline revealed Directors UK had written to Disney, Netflix, Amazon, Paramount, Apple and Warner Bros. Discovery seeking royalties for its members. DUK’s letter said that the body could potentially withhold its members copyright from the streamers in future if they don’t come to the table and attempt to strike deals, we were told, and we understand the streamers are considering their responses. DUK, the UK broadcasters, Sky and producer trade body Pact already have a deal in place, under which DUK is paid royalties for it to distribute to its members. No such blanket deal exists with the streaming services, and this is what DUK is targeting.
Harrower said of Wiley: “With years of experience as an in-house lawyer in the broadcast and media industry, Peter brings with him legal expertise and commercial judgement that will be invaluable to the organisation as we continue to protect the rights of directors in the UK. His in-depth knowledge of the workings of our industry is a huge asset to us, and to our members.”
Wiley added: “The work that Directors UK does for its members and the directing community is important, and I’m looking forward to working with Andy and his team to ensure that directors are respected, valued and supported.”