Welcome to the Animation Workers Antitrust Settlements Website

UPDATE as of September 20, 2018: The second and final round of checks have gone out. All settlement funds available for distribution have been distributed.

If you were an employee who held an animation or visual effects job title at Blue Sky Studios, Inc., DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., Two Pic MC LLC (f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC), Lucasfilm, Ltd., LLC, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation Inc., Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc., or The Walt Disney Company during the time periods set forth below, you could get money from a settlement with one of the multiple defendants in the lawsuit.

The class action lawsuit In re Animation Workers Antitrust Litigation , 14-cv-04062-LHK, claims that Blue Sky Studios, Inc. (“Blue Sky”), DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., Two Pic MC LLC (f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC), Lucasfilm, Ltd., LLC, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation Inc. and Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. (“Sony Pictures”), and The Walt Disney Company (collectively, the “Defendants”) violated federal and state antitrust laws by conspiring to suppress compensation by agreeing not to solicit each other’s employees and by coordinating compensation policies. Defendants deny that they violated any antitrust law or engaged in any wrongdoing.

, 14-cv-04062-LHK, claims that Blue Sky Studios, Inc. (“Blue Sky”), DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., Two Pic MC LLC (f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC), Lucasfilm, Ltd., LLC, Pixar, Sony Pictures Animation Inc. and Sony Pictures Imageworks Inc. (“Sony Pictures”), and The Walt Disney Company (collectively, the “Defendants”) violated federal and state antitrust laws by conspiring to suppress compensation by agreeing not to solicit each other’s employees and by coordinating compensation policies. Defendants deny that they violated any antitrust law or engaged in any wrongdoing. DWA Holdings, LLC, successor to DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (“DreamWorks”), has settled for $50,000,000 (the “DreamWorks Settlement”), and Pixar, Lucasfilm Ltd., LLC, The Walt Disney Company, and Two Pic MC LLC f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC have settled for $100,000,000 (the “Disney Settlement”). Blue Sky has settled for $5,950,000 and Sony Pictures has settled for $13,000,000.

There were two groups of settlements in this case. If you meet the class definition of Group #1, below, you may be entitled to compensation from the funds from the Group #1 settlements ($18.95 million). If you meet the class definition of Group #2, below, you may be also entitled to compensation from the funds from the Group #2 settlements ($150 million).

Definition of class for purposes of Group #1 settlements only:

All animation and visual effects employees employed by defendants in the United States who held any of the jobs listed in Ashenfelter Reply Report Appendix C during the following time periods: Pixar (2001- 2010), Lucasfilm Ltd., LLC (2001-2010), DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (2003-2010), The Walt Disney Company (2004-2010), Sony Pictures Animation, Inc. and Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. (2004- 2010), Blue Sky Studios, Inc. (2005-2010) and Two Pic MC LLC f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC (2007-2010). Excluded from the Class are senior executives, members of the board of directors, and persons employed to perform office operation or administrative tasks.

Definition of class for purposes of Group #2 settlements only:

All animation and visual effects employees employed by one or more of the Defendants in the United States who held any of the job titles listed in the attached List of Job Titles by Defendant during the following time periods: Pixar (2004–2010), Lucasfilm Ltd., LLC (2004–2010), DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (2004–2010), The Walt Disney Company (2004–2010), Sony Pictures Animation, Inc. and Sony Pictures Imageworks, Inc. (2004–2010), Blue Sky Studios, Inc. (2005–2010) and Two Pic MC LLC f/k/a ImageMovers Digital LLC (2007–2010). Excluded from the Class are senior executives, members of the board of directors, and persons employed to perform office operations or administrative tasks.

The list of job titles applicable to both groups is available here. To be a class member for either Group of settlements, you have to have held one of the job titles on the list.