THE PRODUCERS OF “THE ART OF FIELDING” AGAIN AVOID LIABILITY
On February 6, 2019, a Second Circuit panel refused to give Charles Green (the author of “Bucky’s 9th”) another chance at his allegations that the 2011 best-selling baseball novel “The Art of Fielding” stole the plot from his book, ruling the scenes in question are common in the genre. This In The Know article is a…
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On January 21, 2019, U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein of New York agreed to reconsider an October 2018 decision in which he had ruled that press agency Zuma Press Inc. had “nobody to blame but itself” for making little effort to get its images back after commingling them with a collection owned by a…
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A jury trial has been set for May 2019 against Conan O’Brien over claims brought by comedian Robert Alexander Kaseberg (“Kaseberg”) which allege Conan, his show’s production company Conaco LLC, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., Time Warner Inc., and two members of the show’s production staff (the “Conan Defendants”) stole five of his jokes which were…
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On January 23, 2019, Memphis rapper, Blocboy JB, filed a complaint in California federal court against Epic Games Inc. for allegedly using his signature dance moves in their well-know game “Fortnite” without his permission. Blocboy JB, whose real name is James Baker, claims Epic Games copied the dance he created for his 2017 song “Shoot,”…
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Tinder, the well-known dating app, has been ordered by a California federal court to pay $17.3 million worth of subscription features and cash to settle claims that the company overcharged dating app users based on their age. In June of 2018, a class action against Tinder, which is owned by Match Group Inc., alleged that the…
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On January 10, 2019, Alcon Entertainment filed a lawsuit in California federal court against French car maker, Peugeot, claiming that it has not been paid the $30 million promised by the French auto maker to have its logo prominently featured in the movie “Blade Runner 2049.” Alcon described in its 132-page complaint how Peugeot worked…
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Orange County Superior Court Judge Layne H. Melzer granted “The Real Housewives of Orange County” star Shannon Beador’s Motion to Strike a complaint filed by James Bellino, the husband of former cast member Alexis Bellino, under California’s anti-SLAPP statute. A California judge has allowed “The Real Housewives of Orange County” star Shannon Beador to avoid…
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On January 15, 2019, pop star Rihanna, real name Robyn Rihanna Fenty, filed a lawsuit in a California federal court demanding her father, Ronald Fenty, cease exploiting her name and brand, “Fenty,” for commercial benefit through his company Fenty Entertainment LLC. To add “insult to injury,” Rihanna has recently opened up on ABC’s “Good Morning…
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On January 9, 2019, the Ninth Circuit ordered a coffee company to $2.4 million in damages to companies connected to reggae legend Bob Marley for continuing to sell Marley-branded coffee after a trademark license agreement between the companies was terminated. The litigation began in August 2016, after Jammin Java allegedly failed to pay royalties on…
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On January 7, 2019, a California appeals court reversed most of “Duck Dynasty” creators’ (Scott and Deidre Gurney) complaint against a British production company, ITV Studios, that bought most of their operation for $40 million and then refused to work with them. The appeals court said numerous paragraphs pursuant to an anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public…
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