Warner Bros. is suing Amazon for poaching

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against Amazon, accusing them of wrongdoing illegal workersincluding Pia Barlow, former VP of early marketing. In the complaint, Warner alleges that “Amazon has chosen to ride the coattails of some of Hollywood’s most famous metalheads,” and that it has engaged in “an unregulated labor market.” Deadline reports that Francesca Orsi, HBO’s head of drama and movies, is believed to be one of Amazon’s targets.

Barlow is set to begin a new role as Amazon’s chief marketing officer on August 3. According to Warner’s suit, Barlow was under contract until October 31st, 2027. It accuses Amazon of “deliberately inducing” Barlow to break his contract by offering him high payouts and legal aid if Warner sues for breach of contract. It also says that the killings are ongoing.

Long-term contracts work in the entertainment industry, but less so in others. This has led to conflicts with technology companies trying to enter the industry. YouTube settled with Disney by hiring a former CEO Justin Connollyand 20th Century Fox won a lawsuit against Netflix that killed two of the victims.