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MAY
24
2 DAYS

Fox, CBS, NBC Sue Dish Network Over AutoHop Ad-Skipper

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Fox, CBS, NBC Sue Dish Network Over AutoHop Ad-Skipper

Fox, CBS and NBCUniversal separately have sued Dish Network over its new AutoHop service, which allows consumers to skip television ads. At the same time, Dish has filed its own lawsuit against all four broadcast networks seeking a declaration as to the legality of its new service.

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MAY
24
2 DAYS

ABC Fires Back at CBS Lawsuit Over 'Big Brother'-Type Reality Show

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ABC Fires Back at CBS Lawsuit Over 'Big Brother'-Type Reality Show

ABC has shot back in the legal war over its upcoming reality series Life in a Glass House, which is the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by Big Brother network CBS.

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MAY
23
3 DAYS

Injured 'Transformers 3' Extra Receives $18.5 Million Settlement

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Injured 'Transformers 3' Extra Receives $18.5 Million Settlement

An Illinois judge has approved an $18.5 million settlement for woman who was critically injured during production of Paramount's Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

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MAY
23
3 DAYS

Dish vs. TV Networks: Attorneys Readying Showdown Over Auto Hop

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Dish vs. TV Networks: Attorneys Readying Showdown Over Auto Hop

This story first appeared in the June 1 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

Attorneys are lining up to represent TV broadcasters in what most believe is an inevitable legal showdown with Dish Network over Auto Hop, the satellite provider's new device that lets subscribers watch programming without commercials.

Sources tell THR that the parent companies of the four major broadcast networks -- Fox Broadcasting, NBCUniversal, ABC/Disney Television Group and CBS Corp. -- have begun consulting with major law firms with the expectation that litigation will be filed against Dish.

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MAY
22
4 DAYS

Dismissal Formalized in SAG-AFTRA Merger Lawsuit (Exclusive)

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Dismissal Formalized in SAG-AFTRA Merger Lawsuit (Exclusive)

Federal Judge James Otero accepted on Tuesday the proposed order filed by the parties dismissing the federal lawsuit that sought to enjoin the SAG/AFTRA merger referendum, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The move marks the formal end to the litigation.

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MAY
22
4 DAYS

TV Broadcasters Lose Round One in Legal War With Barry Diller's Aereo

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TV Broadcasters Lose Round One in Legal War With Barry Diller's Aereo

TV broadcasting executives have spent the better part of a week threatening legal action over Dish Network's new Auto Hop feature that allows users to completely skip commercials. But while that has been happening, a federal judge in New York has been considering a case that the TV industry has already taken to court. 

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MAY
21
5 DAYS

Gloria Allred Sued for Allegedly Attempting to Steal Clients in John Travolta Case

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Gloria Allred Sued for Allegedly Attempting to Steal Clients in John Travolta Case

The drama continues in the John Travolta sexual battery litigation—despite the fact that both accusers have dropped their cases.

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MAY
21
5 DAYS

Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Joel Tenenbaum Appeal in Music Piracy Case

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Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Joel Tenenbaum Appeal in Music Piracy Case

The long-running saga of Joel Tenenbaum, the Boston student penalized $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing 31 songs online, has taken a new turn. The Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear the Boston University PhD student's constitutional challenge to the penalty, which resulted from a lawsuit filed in 2007 by the RIAA. The move is a win for the music industry in its unending crusade against piracy.

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MAY
21
5 DAYS

Why John Travolta Probably Won't Sue His Accusers for Malicious Prosecution

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Why John Travolta Probably Won't Sue His Accusers for Malicious Prosecution

John Travolta's legal team has had a big week. Both masseurs who sued the actor for sexual battery and accused him of lewd conduct have dropped their lawsuits. The accusers then fired their lawyer Okorie Okorocha and hired Gloria Allred.

Amid all the media hoopla around the cases, one question not addressed is whether the actor could sue his accusers (and their lawyer) for malicious prosecution for bringing what Travolta contends were bogus cases. After all, the actor's lead lawyer Marty Singer threatened a malicious prosecution action against the accusers and Okorocha almost immediately after the first $2 million lawsuit was filed.

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MAY
18
1 week

Fox, CAA Settle Heated Lawsuit Over Creation of USA's 'White Collar' (Exclusive)

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Fox, CAA Settle Heated Lawsuit Over Creation of USA's 'White Collar' (Exclusive)

Fox Television Studios, the showrunner of USA's White Collar and his agents at CAA have settled a lawsuit alleging that the show's former story editor was improperly denied a share of revenue due in part to a conflict of interest.

Travis Romero filed suit last year contending that he came up with the idea for the hit USA crime drama but was cut out of profits by producer Fox TV Studios and creator-showrunner Jeff Eastin. Romero claimed that he and Eastin had been close friends and creative partners for almost 20 years and had conceived of White Collar in Eastin's San Fernando Valley hot tub.

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After the lawsuit was filed, it was amended to expand its scope significantly by alleging that some of Hollywood's top players, including Fox TV Studios executive vp Matt Loze and president David Madden, CAA agents Rob Kenneally and Tom Young, and an attorney at the Jackoway Tyerman firm had allegedly urged and/or helped Eastin to cut out his purported partner from sharing in the fruits of the show's success.

But the parties have reached a settlement, and Eastin's attorney tells The Hollywood Reporter that court papers were being filed Friday to dismiss the case. “The matter has been resolved, and the litigation is dismissed,” says attorney Max Sprecher. Terms of the settlement are being kept private.

The deal comes days after a Los Angeles Superior Court judge issued a tentative ruling significantly limiting the Romero lawsuit. The CAA agents and Fox executives were dismissed from the lawsuit, but a malpractice claim remained against the attorneys, and Romero was granted a chance to refile many of his claims. A trial date had been set for March 2013.

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MAY
17
1 week

Dismissal Filed in SAG-AFTRA Merger Lawsuit

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Dismissal Filed in SAG-AFTRA Merger Lawsuit

The parties to the federal lawsuit that sought to enjoin the SAG/AFTRA merger referendum – which passed almost two months ago – have filed a settlement agreement to dismiss the case. The move was expected, in light of a letter from plaintiffs’ counsel David Casselman released Wednesday, addressed to SAG-AFTRA’s outside lawyer, Bob Bush.

In an unusual addition to otherwise customary legal language, the agreement includes a statement that “while Plaintiffs still believe in the merits of their assertions, they agree that it is in the best interests of SAG/AFTRA to terminate this litigation and move forward in unity.”

The document also recites that the Plaintiffs “have reflected upon the demonstrated will of the SAG members.” That’s presumably a reference to the results of the referendum, in which a surprisingly high 82 percent of SAG members voted Yes.

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MAY
17
1 week

Live Nation to Exit a Decade-Long Legal Battle Over Concert Ticket Prices

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Live Nation to Exit a Decade-Long Legal Battle Over Concert Ticket Prices

A long-running dispute over whether Live Nation and former parent Clear Channel engaged in anticompetitive conduct in the promotion and pricing of live music concerts could be headed for some resolution. On Tuesday, lawyers for the company and a class of nationwide plaintiffs told a California federal court that they were finalizing a global settlement agreement that would lead to the dismissal of various claims that span back a decade.

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MAY
17
1 week

Electronic Arts Fails to Dismiss Athletes' Antitrust Class Action

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Electronic Arts Fails to Dismiss Athletes' Antitrust Class Action

Electronic Arts isn't escaping a lawsuit brought by former collegiate athletes who allege a conspiracy to forbid them from profiting from their images and likenesses in sports video games. On Wednesday, a California federal judge denied EA's attempt to score a quick win.

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MAY
17
1 week

EA Dismissed from 'Call of Duty' Lawsuit After Settlement With Activision

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EA Dismissed from 'Call of Duty' Lawsuit After Settlement With Activision

Two weeks before one of the biggest trials in the history of the video game industry gets underway, a pair of gaming giants, Activision and Electronic Arts, have resolved differences with each other. On Wednesday, the companies announced they had reached a settlement that will put an end to Activision's $400 million lawsuit against EA for allegedly trying to steal its executives and "hijack" its assets.

The pact doesn't change a May 29 trial date in a Los Angeles courtroom where Activision will do battle with Jason West and Vincent Zampella, former heads of Activision subsidiary Infinity Ward, responsible for producing the blockbuster game franchise, Call of Duty.

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