Economy
Discover facts about economy. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Economy
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings dispute was about how success was counted
Jackson and Fran Walsh said an audit raised questions about money due from The Fellowship of the Ring, leading to litigation with New Line. A successful film…
Discover more
How bubble tests became a business
A multiple-choice test seems cheap until the scanner rejects ordinary paper. Schools using proprietary systems need matching answer sheets, turning a basic…
Discover more
Chicago sold its parking meters for 75 years
A parade could close a street and still cost Chicago money: the private meter operator could collect compensation for the lost parking revenue. The city had…
Discover more
One use of AC/DC's Thunderstruck cost a movie $500,000
Music supervisor Thomas Golubić recalled that price for Varsity Blues. His team looked for alternatives, but the filmmakers paid to keep the song. A famous…
Discover more
Why professors review papers for free
A journal can ask professors to review a paper for free, then sell access to the reviewed article behind a paywall. The experts do the quality check; the…
Discover more
Super Bowl headliners trade a normal concert payday for an enormous audience
The league covers production costs and pays union scale rather than the artist's usual headlining fee. Exposure can then lift streams, sales, and interest in…
Discover more
STACKY FOR IPHONEA bigger world.
One discovery
at a time.
Keep discovering with Stacky. Interesting facts in an app that is always within reach.
Stan Lee had to sue over Marvel's promised profit share
In 2005, a court ruled that his contract entitled him to a share of specified profits Marvel received from screen adaptations and related toys. That was not…
Discover more
A public court hearing can still produce a transcript bill
In U.S. federal courts, ordered transcripts are charged by the page under approved fee schedules. Faster delivery costs more, and copies have their own rates.…
Discover more
A Kickstarter pledge buys a chance, not a guaranteed product
A Kickstarter pledge funds a project; it isn’t a guaranteed purchase from a store. The creator may spend the money and still fail to deliver, leaving backers…
Discover more
How one movie download could trigger a lawsuit
The firms don't need every recipient to go to court; they send demands for thousands and rely on people paying to avoid a daunting legal battle. That's how…
Discover more
In U.S. civil forfeiture, the case can target the property itself
Unlike criminal forfeiture, the civil process does not require a criminal conviction of the owner. The government seeks forfeiture of property connected to…
Discover more
Jury duty pays citizens with insulting daily stipends
A juror may give up a day of work, pay for parking, and still receive only a small daily stipend. Serving the court can leave the citizen covering the bill.
Discover more
Darth Vader's actor said Jedi never paid him profit shares
David Prowse told an interviewer that Lucasfilm sent letters saying Return of the Jedi had not generated the profit needed for his participation payments.…
Discover more
How private booting companies hold cars for ransom
A driver can come back to find a metal boot clamped to a tire—and a private lot operator demanding money to remove it. Even a minor parking violation can turn…
Discover more
Bitter Sweet Symphony's royalty fight lasted over twenty years
A dispute over its orchestral sample redirected the song's publishing royalties and credits. In 2019, Richard Ashcroft announced that Mick Jagger and Keith…
Discover more
How record labels claim a share of touring money
When album sales fell, some labels reached beyond the record and into the road: 360 deals let them take a cut of artists’ touring and merchandise income too.…
Discover more
A six-second drum solo traveled much farther than its royalties
Gregory Coleman played the Amen break on the Winstons' 1969 recording Amen, Brother. Later producers reused it across hip-hop and dance music, while Coleman…
Discover more
Why Sony can't stop making Spider-Man movies
Sony has to release another Spider-Man film within the contract's deadline or the rights revert to Marvel. So letting the character sit on a shelf could cost…
Discover more
Why movie ratings cost studios so much
The independent ratings board charges filmmakers hefty upfront fees just to watch and classify a film, which can put wide distribution out of reach for…
Discover more
Forensic experts charge astronomical hourly consulting fees
Courtroom testimony is only one item on the forensic expert’s invoice. The defense may also pay for document review and travel, making the evidence expensive…
Discover more
A conference can charge the researcher who supplies its content
Academic presenters often pay registration and travel costs, sometimes through institutional or grant funding and sometimes personally. They are not…
Discover more
Graduation gown rentals heavily markup cheap polyester
Students can pay more to rent a polyester graduation gown than it costs to make one. The supplier gets the robe back after the ceremony and can rent that same…
Discover more
Why celebrities can be sued for posting their own photos
The celebrity may be in the picture, but the photographer usually owns the copyright. Posting that paparazzi shot without permission can mean a copyright…
Discover more
Why colleges make scholarships look bigger
A high sticker price gives a college room to offer a large scholarship. The discount can feel like a big win even if the amount the student actually pays…
Discover more