Warner Bros. has raised Discovery sued Amazon for “hastily seeking to rip off a number of contract employees,” citing the recent hiring of Pia Barlow as “a better example of Amazon employees’ illegal shopping spree.”
Warner Bros. claims Intentional interference with contractual relations, breach of contract, intentional interference with potential economic progress and unfair competition are against Amazon in the lawsuit filed Tuesday. Using Barlow, the former executive vice president of original series marketing at HBO Max, for example, the company noted that her contract wasn’t scheduled to expire until October 31, 2027. Barlow was announced as the new head of original series marketing at Amazon MGM Studios on Friday, when most outlets began reporting the lawsuit.
“Even though it was aware of Barlow’s continuing contractual obligation to WMS, of which WBD is a beneficiary, Amazon brazenly and intentionally induced Barlow to violate the employment agreement by packing up and going to Amazon more than 16 months before it expired,” the lawsuit said.
Warner Bros. claims Also in the file is that “Barlow is not the first (Nor, apparently, the latter) A WBD employee who Amazon has targeted or will target in the future. “Just weeks before Amazon interfered with Barlow’s fixed-term employment contract with WMS, Amazon similarly sought to maliciously induce another WBD employee to breach the fixed-term employment agreement, which was not scheduled to expire until December 2027,” the lawsuit alleges.
“Fortunately, in that case, Amazon was ultimately unsuccessful in its efforts to raid WBD’s workforce with respect to this particular executive,” the lawsuit continues.
Warner Bros. is seeking To obtain compensatory damages, punitive damages, and injunctive relief.
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