July 20, 2016 Celebrities / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

Trademark Fight Over Kardashians Cosmetics Line

Following the Kardashians Intellectual Property suit that accused Hillair Capital Investments LLC and its subsidiary, Haven Beauty Inc., of trademark infringements, Haven in turn is now suing the Kardashian sisters for failing to promote the cosmetic line as was agreed.

According to court papers, Hillair was awarded the assets of Boldface Licensing + Branding Inc., the Kardashian’s licensing company, after it became insolvent. These assets included a five year license deal to use — subject to approval by the Kardashians — their trademarks in connection …

June 27, 2016 Celebrities

And Whitney Houston’s Emmy Goes To …

Federal Judge Percy Anderson recently sided with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences concerning the property rights of Emmy Awards. The Television Academy filed a complaint against Heritage Auctions and the estate of Whitney Houston on June 22, 2016, claiming that the award was its intellectual property. They claimed that if the “highly publicized auction is allowed to go forward, it will undermine the prestige of the Emmy Award and tarnish the Television Academy’s reputation , leaving the impression that the highest honor in …

June 24, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation

A New Type of Speech for Leo: DiCaprio Ordered to Testify in ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Defamation Case

On June 16, 2016 a New York federal judge ordered international superstar and recent Oscar winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio to answer questions about the writing of the 2013 hit movie “The Wolf of Wall Street.” Despite his objections that he neither wrote nor directed the movie and he would not be helpful to the case, the judge ordered for DiCaprio to be deposed at a time convenient to his schedule.

This order stems from a $50 million defamation lawsuit brought by Andrew Greene against the …

June 12, 2016 Celebrities / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark / Litigation

Ed Sheeran Sued For Copyright Infringement

British pop star Ed Sheeran has been sued for copyright infringement by two California songwriters. Martin Harrington and Tom Leonard claim Sheeran and co-writer Johnny McDaid of the band Snow Patrol copied, almost note for note, a song titled “Amazing” when they wrote Sheeran’s hit song “Photograph.” “Amazing,” sung by Matt Cardle, peaked at No. 84 in the United Kingdom. “Photograph” became a top 10 hit in the United States, selling over 3.5 million copies.

The other named defendants in the lawsuit are McDaid, Sony …

June 10, 2016 Celebrities / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

When Beyoncé Gives You Lemonade, File Lawsuit

On June 8, 2016, Beyoncé was sued in a copyright infringement action by independent filmmaker Matthew Fulks. Fulks alleges that nine visual similarities amounting to 39 seconds of Beyoncé’s 60-second Lemonade trailer for an HBO special are substantially similar to images from Fulks’ short film PALINOIA. Fulks, who is also suing Parkwood Entertainment, Sony Music, and Columbia Records, is seeking unspecified damages based on money generated by Lemonade.

Fulks alleges PALINOIA had been seen by a member of Beyoncé’s team, who subsequently …

May 3, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation / Privacy Rights

On Heels of Unprecedented Win, Hogan Files New Sex Tape Suit

On Monday May 2, 2016, wrestling icon and reality-television celebrity Hulk Hogan filed another civil suit in Florida state court over the alleged distribution of a sex tape featuring the wrestler. According to the complaint, Hogan accuses Gawker Media, LLC (the gossip website whom he had just secured a $140 million jury verdict against in March), and a slew of individual defendants of intentionally interfering with his career in the WWE by obtaining and releasing a sex tape recorded without his consent. The tape …

April 19, 2016 Celebrities / Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

Songwriters Want Bieber to Pay $10 Million for Dancing Around Depositions

Songwriters are seeking $10 million from pop star Justin Bieber claiming he is abusing discovery in their copyright infringement suit against him.

The initial lawsuit arose in May 2013 when two songwriters sued Bieber over copyright of his hit single “Somebody to Love.” The songwriters claim they created the song in 2008, obtained a U.S. Copyright registration, and sent it to music industry scouts in 2009. It is alleged that the music scouts passed the single along to Usher, who is also named in the …

March 23, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation / Privacy Rights

Gawker Bodyslammed with Another $25M, Hogan Award Jumps to $140M Total

In what should come as no surprise to anyone following the case, jurors in the Hulk Hogan right to privacy civil suit against gossip-site Gawker, which was brought over release and publication of a 2006 sex tape involving the wrestling superstar, hit the media company with another $25 million judgment late Monday afternoon on March 21, 2016. The award was for punitive damages, an extra penalty that can be handed out in certain cases where it is found a person went above and beyond conscionable …

March 21, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation / Privacy Rights

Hulk Hogan Awarded $115 Million in Bout Against Gawker

On Friday, March 18, 2016, after only about six hours of deliberation, a jury of four women and two men hit gossip-site Gawker with a $115 million damages verdict against it in the Hulk Hogan civil suit over right of privacy and publicity charges. The award, which was handed down on the same day that attorneys for both sides delivered their closing statements, included $55 million in economic damages and $60 million in noneconomic damages. Hogan had been seeking $100 million in total from the …

March 18, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation / Privacy Rights

Gawker Tries One Final Takedown of Hulk Hogan’s Persona as Trial Nears End

On Thursday, March 17, 2016, Gawker Media LLC, the defendant in a $100 million right of privacy trial brought by wrestling icon and American hero Hulk Hogan over the news site’s publication of a sex tape featuring the Hulkster, made one last stand to the jury on the ninth day of trial and on the eve of closing statements. In keeping consistent with the argument it’s made throughout the trial—that the celebrity and former WWE star Hogan repeatedly bragged about and discussed issues of his …