99 Problems And A Lawsuit’s One: Jay-Z Streaming Companies Sued Over Lil Wayne Tracks

A lawsuit was filed in New York on Thursday by rapper Lil Wayne’s label company Cash Money Records against rapper Jay-Z’s streaming services including Aspiro and WiMP Music, which operates a streaming service known as Tidal. The lawsuit alleges that Defendants wrongfully engaged in the early release of Lil Wayne’s newest album, and that Defendants are hurting CMR’s investments in Lil Wayne.

In CMR’s court filings, it alleges the following of Defendant streaming companies:

[Defendant’s actions] are a desperate and illegal attempt to save their

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Professional Sports Team Cheerleaders to be Treated as Employees in California

California Governor Jerry Brown just signed a bill which now requires professional sports teams to treat their cheerleaders like employees.  Previously, these cheerleaders were paid as independent contractors which exempted them from state wage and hour laws.  The cheerleaders will now need to be paid minimum wage and are potentially eligible for overtime depending on the amount of hours worked in a given week.

This law follows on the heels of a lawsuit filed last year by the Oakland Raiderettes who challenged their independent contractor …

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Rigging The Game: Bar Owner Says NFL-DirectTV Partnership Violates Sherman Anti-Trust Laws

A class-action lawsuit was filed in federal court on Monday against the National Football League and broadcast satellite service provider DirecTV over their NFL Sunday Ticket partnership. The suit was brought by Ninth Inning Inc., which owns The Mighty Duck sports bar, on behalf of similarly situated establishments. The complaint generally alleges that the business relationship between the NFL and DirecTV is an impermissible monopolistic partnership in violation of Sherman Anti-Trust laws.

In a statement, Ninth Inning described its position:

Because DirecTV and the NFL

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Growing Up Big and Strong: FanDuel Raises $275M in Financing

On Tuesday, July 14, daily fantasy sports website FanDuel Inc. announced that it brought in $275 million after closing a round of financing, bringing its total venture capital funding to $363 million.  The funding is led by private equity firm KKR, Google, and Time Warner, and the company stated that it plans to use the financing to boost customer acquisition efforts, introduce new products, and build its management team.

Additionally, the company noted that several NFL and NBA team owners participated in the funding round …

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Truce: Orostream LLC And World Wrestling Entertainment Inc.’s Legal Battle Ends In A Stipulated Motion For Dismissal

The legal battle between Orostream LLC and World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. came to an end on Wednesday when a Texas federal judge signed off on an order granting a stipulated motion for dismissal that both parties had filed with the court on Tuesday.

Orostream originally filed the suit against WWE, along with various other sports and entertainment companies, alleging that the companies’ mobile content distribution applications infringed on Orostream’s data-transfer U.S. Patent Number 5,828,837. WWE counter-claimed, alleging that claim 37 of U.S. Patent Number 5,828,837 …

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Let’s Try That Again: Ex-NCAA Athletes Appeal Publicity Rights Suit to Sixth Circuit

On Monday, July 13, a group of ten former student athletes filed a notice of appeal with the Sixth Circuit regarding their publicity rights’ claims.  Ultimately, this effort fits into the much larger battle of whether student athletes should receive compensation for their participation in sporting events.

The former college athletes are disputing U.S. District Judge Kevin Sharp’s dismissal of their claims on grounds that they failed to sufficiently back their arguments that they deserve compensation under Tennessee law.  The plaintiffs are seeking to prove …

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Breaking The Bank: Plaintiff Attorneys In NCAA Class Action Lawsuit Awarded $46 Million In Fees

On Monday, a judge ordered that the NCAA pay plaintiffs’ attorneys’ in a class action suit initiated in 2009. The suit was brought by Ed O’Bannon and 19 others, and the payment will total $44.4 million in fees plus $1.5 million in costs.

In arguing against the award, the NCAA’s attorneys likened the situation to the book “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens, claiming this was “a tale of two lawsuits,” as the lawsuit underwent significant changes in 2012.

In response to the …

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50 Cent Finances: Curtis Jackson Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

Rap mogul Curtis Jackson, who also goes by the moniker 50 Cent, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday, July 13 following a $5 million judgment against him in a somewhat bizarre lawsuit. That lawsuit was filed by Lastonia Leviston, the ex-girlfriend of rapper Rick Ross. She claimed that Jackson violated her privacy by posting a sex tape of her on the internet.

Jackson’s attorney, William A. Brewer III said in a statement:

This filing for personal bankruptcy protection permits Mr. Jackson to continue his

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Nothing but Net: Lawsuit Seeks Safety Netting for MLB Ballparks

On Monday, July 13, Oakland Athletics season-ticket holder Gail Payne filed a federal lawsuit seeking to force Major League Baseball to extend the safety netting at each of the ballparks.  The lawsuit seeks class-action status on behalf of all fans who purchase season tickets in currently unprotected areas of MLB ballparks.  It seeks no monetary compensation and instead insists that the league install safety netting from foul pole to foul pole.

Among other arguments, the lawsuit provides examples of serious injuries that have occurred at …

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Keeping the Drive Going: NFL Continues to Fight Against Fans’ Bid for Costs

On Friday, July 10, the NFL argued against an attorneys’ fees request by fans who originally sued over seat complaints from Super Bowl XLV.  In its reply brief supporting a motion filed in June, the NFL urged U.S. District Judge Barbara M.G. Lynn that the request for more than $83,000 in cost reimbursements should either be denied entirely or reduced by at least 90 percent.

In the brief, the NFL suggested that despite the $75,850 jury award the fans won in March for their …

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