Visnjic to Pay 10 Million Euros in Damages

Goran Visnjic is facing having to pay damages to the Kvadar agency, totalling over 70 million kuna.

Two years ago Goran Visnjic filed a suit to cancel the contract that he signed with the Kvadar agency, because according to the actor’s words, the contract is usurious. As we find out from Vecernji List, the agency has the exclusive right to represent the actor overseas, or he will have to pay 50 percent of his earnings to them.

The damages that the Kvadar agency is seeking is more than 70 million kuna, or ten million euros. That figure was calculated simply: they seed one third of Visnjic’s earnings made between January 1997 and January 2008. The calculations were made on the basis of data available on the internet, according to which Visnjic earned more than 40 million dollars. Kvadar seeks that without Visnjic’s knowledge, the court contact the United Talent Agency, who Visnjic signed without Kvadar’s knowledge, and receive data on all of his contracts from 2000 to today. Visnjic’s lawyers answered with a request to protect Visnjic’s privacy, because he is a public person, and that a scandal would be unfavourable.

Kvadar’s law suit was filed last year, and the public have only found out about it now. The court decision does not terminate his contract with Kvadar. The only thing Visnjic can do is hope that the decision does not become valid, because then he will have to pay a huge amount of damages. However, some time will have to pass before a valid verdict.

Usurious contract

Visnjic’s legal representation, the legal office Hanzekovic-Radakovic, claims in the answer to the law suit, that the mentioned contract is unconstitutional and illegal.

“Visnjic’s right to work overseas is limited forever, and Kvadar is not bound to find him any work abroad. If he finds work bypassing Kvadra, then he must pay half to Kvadar. That contact is usurious and void. Visnjic’s constitutional right to freely work and receive contracts overseas, which brings him into a slave position” say his lawyers.

According to a court verdict from 2007, the contract between Visnjic and Kvadra is not usurious, because Kvadar did not exploit Visnjic’s serious financial situation.

Visnjic’s explanation for signing the agreement was that he was a young and inexperienced actor and he did not know what he was signing. However, the court rejected this excuse, and the actor claims the he cancelled his contract with Kvadar in March 1999, which the agency denies.