Actor Gets Jail Time for Stealing & Selling Breakdowns
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PR Newswire
LOS ANGELES, April 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Breakdown Services won their second case against Brian Burke for illegally selling its Breakdowns. Burke was ordered to spend 20 days in jail. Burke was also ordered to provide Breakdown Services with the names of all parties who illegally gave him access to the company's breakdowns.
Breakdown Services receives scripts from casting directors, breaks the scripts down into the various roles, then releases the "breakdowns" to licensed talent agents so they may submit their clients to casting directors for these roles. In April of 2008 Breakdown Services filed their initial case against Burke for illegally selling its breakdowns. In October of 2009 the Court entered a judgment against Burke, awarding Breakdown Services $1.3 million in monetary damages and permanently barring Burke from selling any more breakdowns.
In May of 2010, Breakdown Services learned that someone was sending out emails offering to sell breakdowns. The actors were directed to send payments addressed to "Sam W" at a Hollywood PO Box. "Sam W" turned out to be Samantha Winkler. Winkler confessed that she had been working for Burke at The Actors Collective in Los Angeles and had been recruited by Burke to send out email solicitations and sell breakdowns for Burke using her name as a cover for him. Once this information came to light, Breakdown Services' legal counsel, Steven P. Krakowsky, Esq., commenced proceeding against Burke to have him held in contempt of court for violating the terms of the injunction.
The Court found that Burke had knowingly and willingly violated the permanent injunction on 25 different occasions. The Court imposed the maximum sentence of five days for each of the 25 separate occasions, a total of 125 days. The Court ordered Burke to be incarcerated for 20 days, the remaining 105 days to be served if Burke commits any further violations. Burke is also not allowed to access any of Breakdown Services' websites, including Actors Access.
This is the first time that Breakdown Services has filed criminal proceedings against a party illegally selling its breakdowns. Breakdown Services plans to continue doing this to ensure that people stop this illegal practice
About Breakdown Services, Ltd.
Breakdown Services (www.breakdownexpress.com) was established in 1971, creating the process that is used around the world to cast feature films, television shows, commercials, theater and other projects that require actors. Since its inception it has developed many other services for the industry, including the Virtual Channel Network (www.virtualchannelnetwork.com) that uses the power of the Internet to transmit original content developed specifically for members of the entertainment community. Actors use Breakdowns' Showfax service to obtain audition material at (www.showfax.com) as well as Actors Access (www.actorsaccess.com) that allows for actors to update their pictures, resume and demo reels to submit for specific roles posted at the request of casting directors, and CastingAbout (www.castingabout.com), an up-to-date source for real-time casting and production information in Los Angeles and New York. Other Breakdown Services companies include www.talentproplus.com and www.gobetween.com.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, Breakdown Services operates through a global network of services in the U.S., England and Australia. More information is available on the company's web site located at www.breakdownexpress.com.
SOURCE Breakdown Services
