George Santos Wants $20,000+ from Jimmy Kimmel
Out in The Spectator, and picked up in The Daily Beast, featuring my interview with Santos, and quote from Kimmel
“The Cameo videos of Santos that went viral on Twitter had been requested for personal use, and then posted to Twitter for the delight of the world. By contrast, though Kimmel’s team used the personal use side of Cameo, those videos were purchased for inclusion on his TV show, arguably a commercial purpose, which would be covered by Cameo For Business; a separate branch that grants commercial rights for using Cameo videos, at a far higher rate.
As such, if Cameo’s terms of service are to be believed, Kimmel has underpaid Santos to the tune of tens of thousands on the four videos he has released so far. “The balance is $21,800 and change” according to Santos, which accounts for the videos and 50 percent business rush rate. The total cost of sixteen or so videos, with just a fifteen-day license, would be $40,000 ($60,000 with a rush fee). For a ninety-day license, that would be $99,008 (or $148,512 with a rush fee).
Santos claims that Cameo is supporting his effort for him to be properly recompensed for his efforts; and though it’s hard to take Santos too seriously, given his track record, Cameo has good reason to do so. Cameo has struggled hard in the post-Covid years, and Santos has returned the platform to a relevancy it hasn’t seen since its heyday. More importantly, if they want other creators to use the platform, they have to ensure that their terms of service are enforced. As of writing, Cameo hasn’t responded to requests for comment.”
Out now in The Spectator: my piece on George Santos, Jimmy Kimmel, and the publishing rights of Cameo. Read it now!