Movie writers and directors charge that their respective unions aren’t doing enough to get them foreign payments due them. “Unlike television residuals, which producers and studios have been obligated to pay since the 1950’s, foreign levies stem from VCR, DVD and Internet technology. While American viewers can tape programs from their television sets free of charge, in other nations people pay taxes like one on blank videocassettes and DVD’s, or assessments on cassette rentals so the copyright holders can be compensated. It is this revenue into which the three Hollywood guilds began tapping as early as 1990, on behalf of members and also of others who had a stake in films but did not belong to the unions.”