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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

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 […]

Can a Phrase That Trolls Trump Be Trademarked? The Supreme Court Will Decide

Is it possible to register a trademark that criticizes a political figure using their name without that person’s consent? Federal law says no, but that may soon change thanks to a legal fight involving the size of former President Donald Trump’s hands. The Supreme Court on Monday said it will decide whether a California lawyer […]

Bill Cosby Sued Again for Sexual Assault After State Extends Statute of Limitations

A former Playboy model who was among the first women to come forward with rape allegations against Bill Cosby decades ago has filed a lawsuit against the comedian under a California law that extends the window to sue in sexual assault cases. The suit from Victoria Valentino filed on Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court […]

After Danny Masterson Conviction, Attorneys Weigh “Key Rulings” That Changed Retrial

The three women who accused Danny Masterson of raping them at his Los Angeles home in the early 2000s each said the same thing: The actor gave them a drink that quickly made them feel disoriented before he raped them. In the first trial, which ended in a hung jury in November, prosecutors weren’t allowed […]

Ron DeSantis Gets a New Judge in Disney’s Free Speech Suit

In an early blow to Disney’s suit against Ron DeSantis for control of the district that oversees development around the company’s theme parks, the Republican governor has won a bid to disqualify the judge who was initially assigned the case. The judge denied DeSantis’ motion to disqualify him, but then recused himself anyway. U.S. District […]