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Entertainment and Media Litigation
The Firm’s Entertainment Litigation Practice is comprised of seasoned specialists who truly understand the business of entertainment. The Practice attorneys work closely with the Firm’s transactional Entertainment and Media, Intellectual Property, Music and Advertising attorneys to provide a full-service, multi-disciplined approach to dispute resolution and avoidance. Our entertainment litigators provide thorough risk assessment and pre-litigation advice and strategy to help our clients avoid litigation, prevail where litigation is unavoidable, and achieve cost-effective business solutions.
Our attorneys have vast experience litigating a wide range of disputes involving idea submission and copyright infringement, motion picture / television development, financing, talent agreements, motion picture/television rights, distribution, on-screen and paid ad credits, profit participants, the value of motion pictures, television programs and studio libraries, and music, motion picture and television piracy. Our entertainment litigation clients include large institutional companies, such as entertainment conglomerates and motion picture studios, as well as independent motion picture, television and new media production and distribution companies, record labels, and music publishers, trade associations, interactive game developers and publishers, software publishers, entertainment industry investors, international media companies, satellite, pay and VOD television enterprises, animation creators and producers, venture capital, banking institutions and entertainment financiers, Internet programming and production companies, and other conventional and cutting-edge ventures involved in the entertainment industry.
Professionals
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Chicago
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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New York
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Los Angeles - Century City
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New York
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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New York
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Chicago
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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Los Angeles - Century City
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May 10, 2013
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April 25, 2013
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April 17, 2013
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April 16, 2013
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May 16, 2012
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June 10, 2011
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February 2011
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October 11, 2010
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July 20, 2010
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June 24, 2010
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May 28, 2010
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April 7, 2010
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February 2010
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July 27, 2009
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June 12, 2009
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May 13, 2009
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April 24, 2009
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August 1, 2008
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May 12, 2008
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May 16, 2007
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September 21, 2006
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May 31, 2006
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March 2006
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March 21, 2006
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October 18, 2005
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October 3, 2005
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October 7, 2004
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October 4, 2004
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July 21, 2004
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March 26, 2004
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February 6, 2004
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October 24, 2003
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October 24, 2003
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October 8, 2003
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June 27, 2003
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Equal Employment Opportunity Commission v. Universal Pictures, et al.—
Represented Universal against the EEOC, which brought suit against the studio alleging racial discrimination in the termination of a first assistant director during the production of Too Fast Too Furious. Litigation proceeded to trial in June 2007. Judgment was entered in favor of Universal. The court vindicated the client on allegations of racial discrimination. The judgment became final in 2008 after the government voluntarily dismissed its appeal.
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Kevin Sorbo, et al. v. Universal City Studios, LLP—
Complex profit participation and fraud action involving several hundred million dollars in claims brought against our client by actor Kevin Sorbo in connection with the popular TV series Hercules. The court dismissed Sorbo’s fraud claims on demurrer and all 24 claims for breach of contract on summary judgment. In April 2009, after more than five years of litigation, the California Court of Appeal affirmed in full the judgment in favor of Universal.
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Scottish American Media, LLC and Maurice Fraser v. Reveille, LLC, et al.—
Idea submission case alleging that the defendants improperly used plaintiffs’ ideas in developing a song-contest reality television show. In April 2009, the California Court of Appeal affirmed in full the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of our clients.
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Todd Camhe, et al. v. Dreamworks LLC—
Copyright infringement and idea theft case alleging that DreamWorks improperly used plaintiffs’ works about Las Vegas in connection with the television series Las Vegas. In May 2009 we obtained dismissal of this action on summary judgment. The firm also prevailed in a prior case involving the Las Vegas series brought by a different claimant.
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Livia Milano v. NBC Universal, Inc., et al.—
In 2006, the plaintiff filed a claim for copyright infringement against our clients Reveille, NBC Universal and producer Ben Silverman, alleging that the show The Biggest Loser infringes on her treatment for a reality television show in which overweight people compete to lose the most weight. In July 2008 we obtained dismissal of this action on summary judgment. This litigation is one of three intellectual property cases that we have handled regarding The Biggest Loser.
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Slash, Duff and Guns N’ Roses Partnership vs. Sanctuary Music Group, Bravado Merchandising, Axl Rose, et al.—
Represented legendary recording artists Slash and Duff along with the Guns N’ Roses Partnership in an action for trademark infringement against the unauthorized seller of “Historic Guns N’ Roses” merchandise using the classic artwork and logos from the original band that existed until 1995. The case, which was pending in federal district court in Los Angeles, also included longstanding and complex disputes with former band front man Axl Rose relating to ownership and control over the legacy Guns N’ Roses partnership assets, settled with our clients being compensated for the use of their marks.
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Ram Ben Efraim v. Universal City Studios, et al. and Don Enright, et al. v. Universal City Studios, Inc.—
Multiple actions challenging accountings and distribution practices in connection with the motion picture Private School. We obtained dismissals of all the actions brought against our clients, as well as monetary judgments in favor of our clients. Several of these favorable outcomes have been affirmed on appeal and we are currently representing our clients in the remaining appeals.
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Represented the creator of the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants
in connection with claims of copyright infringement filed by the author of a purportedly similar character.
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Represented an entertainment studio with a financial interest in the motion picture Watchmen,
which was the subject of pre-release litigation between two other motion picture studios.
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MPAA v. The Weinstein Company LLC (“TWC”)—
The MPAA, through its film ratings arm, CARA (the Classification and Rating Administration), accorded an NC-17 rating to the motion picture Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Despite efforts to change the rating by editing and resubmitting the motion picture, CARA retained the NC-17 rating. Under the appeal procedures available to challenge ratings, we, with the participation of the film’s director in the appeal and reference to other motion pictures receiving R ratings successfully persuaded the appellate panel to strike the NC-17 rating and permit the movie to be released under the R rating.
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