The DGA Signatories Department ensures that Guild members work for producers who are signatories of the collectively bargained agreements. Signatories representatives work with the producer's representatives to obtain and verify all documents that have to be reviewed, prepared, circulated for signature and recorded in the U.S. Copyrights Office or with the Secretaries of State; within the deadlines that impact the Guild's protection of its members, as well as confirming through additional research that the Guild is entering into agreements with the bona fide employer(s) and owner(s) of the company and its projects. This work provides the foundation for the Guild's legal rights, so that even when the original signatory producer no longer owns the rights to a picture, the residuals remain secure in perpetuity. The department also maintains the DGA's Signatories Database Website of titles that reflect the Guild's film and television industry history from 1960 to the present and provides constructive notice to distributors of their residuals obligations.
If you have questions about your agreement, or are uncertain about your employer's signatory status, call the Signatories Department at (310) 289-5362 or email lrichard@dga.org with your signatory questions.