MUMBAI: Infighting within the Screen Actors Guild (Sag) in the US has finally led to court proceedings.

The petition that had been filed by Sag president Alan Rosenberg to prevent a newly appointed task force from taking over negotiations for a contract between the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) has been rejected.

Rosenberg, along with three other union board members - Anne-Marie Johnson, Diane Ladd and Kent McCord moved the court action against the union and the 41 members of the national board who voted to oust the union’s executive director and chief negotiator last month.

The court held that the notice and application for the injunction, as well as the underlying complaint, were procedurally defective and refused to issue the injunction at this time.

The Plaintiffs’ counsel stated in court that they intend to amend their documents and notice a new hearing for 5 February, 2009.

As a result, Sag and the AMPTP have decided to postpone further negotiations to a later date.