Skip to main content
Got a tip?
Newsletters

Hollywood legal news

Show biz is our jurisdiction

Business

Power Lawyers 2023: Hollywood's Top 100 Attorneys

Meet the entertainment dealmakers and litigators at the top of their game in The Hollywood Reporter's 17th annual power list.

THR, Esq's Latest News

‘Rust’ Armorer Facing New Evidence Tampering Charge as Prosecution’s Lead Investigator Is Tossed From Case

The former armorer for Rust — charged with involuntary manslaughter in the fatal shooting of the movie’s cinematographer on the set — is looking at a new charge of evidence tampering for allegedly offering narcotics to escape prosecution. The special prosecutors overseeing the case alleged on Thursday in a Santa Fe County court filing that […]

Microsoft Warns That Pausing Activision Merger Will Sink Deal

On Thursday, Microsoft opened a weeklong hearing that will decide whether its $69 billion bid to purchase video game behemoth Activision Blizzard should be temporarily blocked with a warning: If a federal judge grants the injunction that the Federal Trade Commission is seeking, the deal won’t go through. “If we can’t close by July 18, […]

Kesha and Dr. Luke Settle Legal Battle Ahead of Trial

Kesha Sebert and her former producer Dr. Luke (Lukasz Gottwald) have been in a contentious bicoastal legal battle for nearly a decade — but they’ve reached an agreement less than a month before it was set for trial. The settlement ends a legal fight that began in October 2014 with dueling lawsuits; Sebert alleged she […]

Amazon’s “Cancellation Trickery” for Prime Subscriptions Prompts FTC Suit

In an opening salvo against Amazon’s retail dominance, the Federal Trade Commission has sued the tech giant for allegedly duping consumers into signing up for its Prime service and then impeding them from canceling their subscriptions. The heavily redacted lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Washington federal court, argues Amazon adopted a “manipulative” and “coercive” user interface […]

Gannett Blames Google for Newspapers Shuttering in Digital Advertising Monopoly Lawsuit

Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper publisher, has sued Google, accusing the tech giant of having an illegal monopoly over the technology that powers online advertising. The allegations, which mirror those lodged by the Department of Justice in a suit that seeks to break up the Alphabet-owned company, opens another front in a sprawling legal battle […]

Judge Backs A&E in ‘Live PD’ Copyright Lawsuit

A federal judge has ruled that A&E’s copyright infringement lawsuit against Reelz and the producers of its biggest show, On Patrol: Live, can move forward. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla denied a motion to dismiss the case from defendants Big Fish Entertainment, Half Moon Pictures and ReelzChannel — which produce and air […]

Judge Slams WWE’s Defense In Antitrust Lawsuit That Claims League Monopolizes Media Rights Market

A federal judge has found “circumstantial evidence” that WWE has monopolized the market for media rights to professional wrestling. Rejecting a bid to dismiss an antitrust suit from rival outfit Major League Wrestling, U.S. District Judge Edward Davila on Thursday concluded that WWE could’ve violated antitrust laws by insisting on exclusivity agreements with media partners. […]

Netflix Settles Defamation Lawsuit Over ‘Afflicted’ Docuseries

Netflix and the production company behind Afflicted have settled a suit brought by subjects of the docuseries who said they were defamed when the show misrepresented their chronic illnesses. Both sides moved to drop the suit, according to a request for dismissal filed on June 6. Details of the deal weren’t disclosed. The settlement comes […]

Twitter Hit With $250M Lawsuit From Music Publishers Over “Massive Copyright Infringement” Claim

Twitter’s longstanding refusal to secure music licensing rights has come to a head with a lawsuit accusing the company of mass copyright infringement. The three major music conglomerates — Universal, Sony and Warner — joined by a host of other publishers, on Wednesday sued Twitter for at least $250 million over the alleged infringement of […]

Microsoft’s Bid to Buy Activision Blizzard Temporarily Halted by Judge as Merger Deadline Nears

Microsoft’s $69 billion bid to buy video game publisher Activision Blizzard has been temporarily blocked, allowing more time to review whether the deal violates antitrust laws. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley found on Tuesday that pausing the merger is “necessary to maintain the status quo” and preserve the FTC’s ability to permanently stop the […]

Kesha Lands Major Victory in Defamation Battle Against Dr. Luke Ahead of Trial

A month ahead of the start of a defamation trial between Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald and Kesha Rose Sebert, New York’s top appeals court set the bar higher for the producer to prove that the singer defamed him by accusing him of raping her in 2014. The New York Court of Appeals on Tuesday ruled […]

Lisa Marie Presley’s Daughter Riley Keough to Be Named Sole Trustee in Settlement With Priscilla Presley

Priscilla Presley is surrendering control of her daughter’s estate to her granddaughter, according to a proposed settlement filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. Riley Keough moved to approve a deal on Monday that would name her sole trustee of her late mother’s sprawling estate. Under the agreement, Priscilla Presley will be paid an undisclosed sum […]

Marvel Winds Down Fight Over Avengers Characters

Marvel has made a major move toward ending the battle for the rights to its most iconic characters — including the Avengers — but the fight isn’t over. Back in 2021, Marvel filed a series of lawsuits in response to copyright termination notices from Larry Lieber and the estates of Gene Colan, Steve Ditko, Don […]

Supreme Court Limits Parody Protections in Jack Daniels v. Bad Spaniels Trademark Fight

Jack Daniel’s may be what unites a divided nation — at least when it comes to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a unanimous ruling handed down Thursday, the high court sided with the Tennessee whiskey maker in a trademark fight over a “Bad Spaniels” dog toy. “This case is about dog toys and whiskey, two […]

Danny Masterson’s Former Legal Team Sanctioned for Leaking Discovery Material to the Church of Scientology in Rape Trial

Tom Mesereau and Sharon Appelbaum, Danny Masterson’s previous lawyers before they were ousted from the actor’s defense team, have been sanctioned for leaking confidential discovery material to the Church of Scientology. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Charlaine Olmedo on Wednesday found that Meseareau and Applebaum shared criminal discovery related to claims from Masterson’s accusers that […]

ABC Defeats COVID-19 Vaccine Suit From Fired ‘General Hospital’ Star Ingo Rademacher

ABC has defeated a lawsuit from Ingo Rademacher over his dismissal from General Hospital for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine. In December 2021, the actor sued the network, claiming it refused to accommodate his religious objections. In an order granting summary judgment, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephen Goorvitch sided with ABC, which argued […]