# WGA signatory > A company that has agreed to be bound by the WGA collective-bargaining agreement for covered writing employment, including applicable minimums, credits, residuals, and pension and health contributions. Also known as: Guild signatory, WGA-signatory company ## In practice Signatory status belongs to the employing or purchasing company, not to a script file, writer, agent, or software product. The Guild's signatory process establishes the company and agreement that will cover qualifying work. That distinction matters because professional-looking pages and a familiar producer name do not by themselves establish MBA coverage. The WGA advises screenwriters to work for signatory companies when they want the agreement's protections. Before covered employment, option, or purchase, production entities may need to complete the appropriate signatory paperwork. Writers should verify the actual contracting entity instead of assuming that a parent brand, distributor, or individual producer automatically covers a newly formed project company. Inkwell can preserve the draft, notes baseline, and exported version associated with a deal, but it cannot verify signatory status or bind an employer to the MBA. Use the Guild's signatory resources and your representatives for that check. Keep the executed agreement beside the exact draft and delivery records it governs. ## Official sources & context Sources reviewed Jul 29, 2026 Only the Guild or qualified representatives can confirm how signatory status and MBA coverage apply to a particular engagement. - [WGA — Become a signatory](https://www.wga.org/employers/signatories/become-a-signatory) - [WGA — Screenwriters handbook](https://www.wga.org/members/employment-resources/screenwriters-handbook) ## Common questions ### Is a WGA member the same as a WGA signatory? No. Membership describes a writer's relationship with the Guild; signatory status describes a company's agreement to follow the MBA for covered work. ### How do I know whether a company is signatory? Verify the exact contracting entity through WGA signatory resources or Guild staff. Do not rely only on a producer's credits, logo, or relationship with a larger studio. ### Does using WGA formatting make my project covered? No. Page layout has no power to create MBA coverage. Employer status, the engagement, and the applicable agreement determine whether Guild protections apply. ## Related terms - [2026 WGA MBA](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/2026-wga-mba): The current Minimum Basic Agreement between the WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, effective May 2, 2026, with minimums and working protections for covered writing. - [Literary material](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/literary-material): A defined category of writer-created material under the WGA MBA that can include screenplays, teleplays, stories, treatments, and other covered writing. It is a contract term, not merely a synonym for prose. - [Free work and producer passes](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/free-work-producer-pass): Requested writing performed without an agreed paid step. A producer pass commonly means an extra rewrite requested before material is delivered onward, creating pressure to work beyond the compensated deal. - [Spec script](https://www.inkwell.software/glossary/spec-script): A screenplay written on speculation — no deal yet — meant to sell the story or showcase craft. Specs usually skip production numbering and camera direction. - [Read the pillar guide](https://www.inkwell.software/learn/wga-aware-screenwriting-workflows): A longer guide for this workflow --- Canonical page: