Apple Faces Lawsuit Over Half of Breaking Bad’s Final Season

On Friday, August 29, Judge Davila of the court of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed two of three consumer class action claims against Apple stemming from its sale of the final season of AMC’s Breaking Bad.

Angry Apple customer, Dr. Noam Lazebnik, was irritated to learn that his $22.99 purchase of the final season of Breaking Bad  only included the first 8 episodes.  In 2012, Apple advertised the price for “all current and future episodes of Breaking …

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CBS Sued Over Farting Hippopotamus

A recurring stuffed animal on the hit CBS show, NCIS, is causing the broadcasting corporation legal woes this week.  On August 25, CBS Broadcasting was sued by world renowned puppet maker, Folkmanis Inc.,  for infringing its copyrights by producing and selling “Bert the Farting Hippo” products.

Abby Sciuto, the goth forensic scientist on NCIS, introduced her furry, farting stuffed animal, Bert back in 2003.  Since his first appearance, Bert the Farting Hippo has made over a dozen appearances on the television show, garnering …

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Contestant Sues Viacom; “Dating Naked” Was “Not What She Anticipated”

On Friday, August 22, a contestant from VH1’s series “Dating Naked” filed a $10 million lawsuit against Viacom and two other production companies for broadcasting images of her naked.

Jessie Nizewitz, a model from New York, participated in the reality television show “Dating Naked,”  which aired in July.  The show revolves around several male and female participants who strip down to the buff and go on dates with each other in an island paradise.  During an on-beach wrestling incident, Niewitz claims that her …

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New Yorkers Pay to Keep Colbert and “Late Show” in NYC

Wednesday afternoon, CBS and New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced that the “Late Show” will stay in New York City when Stephen Colbert takes over hosting duties from David Letterman next year.

Reports claim that Los Angeles and governor Eric Garcetti attempted to lure Colbert and the “Late Show” from its NY home, but Governor Andrew Cuomo stepped in.  Cuomo offered CBS CEO Leslie Moonves $11 million in tax credits over a five year span through the excelsior tax credit program, geared toward job creation.  …

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Supreme Court Shuts Down Aereo

The much anticipated Supreme Court decision came out today.  The US Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, ruled that Aereo infringed on the copyrights of major TV networks when it transmitted their contents to its subscribers.  Aereo rented out a miniature antenna to a subscriber who then received broadcast signals from major TV networks.

Writing for the majority, Justice Stephen G. Breyer found that Aereo was essentially acting like a cable company, not like “an equipment provider.”  He further rejected Aereo’s argument that its transmission …

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Former American Idol Contestant Loses Libel Lawsuit against MTV

Corey Clark, the former-American Idol participant who gained notoriety for alleging he had an affair with then-judge Paula Abdul, recently saw his $40 million defamation suit against MTV dismissed.  The ex-contestant was originally disqualified and removed from the show after concealing the fact that he had been arrested for assaulting his sister.

Clark responded by filing the libel lawsuit back in July 2012 after an MTV reporter published various pieces concerning Clark’s disqualification, including statements characterizing the assault as a “hairy domestic dispute,” and asserting …

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Judge Judy Suing to Protect Her “Prestigious Persona”

Judith Sheindlin – better known as “Judge Judy” – may soon be standing on the other side of the bench.  On March 12, Sheindlin filed her first lawsuit through which she is accusing fellow Connecticut attorney John Haymond of using her image in advertisements without permission.

According to Sheindlin, Haymond and his firm have been airing advertisements in Connecticut and Massachusetts during broadcasts of her show.  Despite a warning to stop in March 2013, the firm continued to run the ads.  The unauthorized ads allegedly …

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Former ‘Mob Wives’ Star Sues Grand Theft Auto V Producers

Karen Gravano, former actress on the TV show Mob Wives, and daughter of real life mobster Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano, sued the Rockstar Games Co. over the use of a character in the mob-themed “Grand Theft Auto V” video game – a character Gravano asserts was modeled after her without her permission.

The complaint asserts that the make-believe “Antonia Bottino” incorporated Gravano’s image and life story into the game without consulting Gravano or providing her any compensation.  The filing noted, “[n]otwithstanding the fact that …

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Ex-Manager of Friends Star Gets $1.6 million Jury Award

On February 25, Scott Howard, the former manager of Friends star Lisa Kudrow, received a $1.6 million jury award in his breach of contract case against the actress.  Howard sued Kudrow in 2008 for continuing residual monies he believed he was owed for negotiating work for Kudrow prior to his firing in 2007. Though there was no written contract between the two parties, Howard alleged that he and Kudrow had operated under an oral agreement, which is standard practice for agents in the entertainment industry.…

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Simpson’s Voice Man, Hank Azaria, Wins Copyright Dispute over ‘Funny or Die Video’

Hank Azaria, an actor who provides the voices for several characters on the long-running hit TV show The Simpsons, recently won a California federal court dispute over the copyright to Jim Brockmire, a fictional baseball announcer.  The fictional character originally premiered in the 2010 “Funny or Die” film entitled “Jim Brockmire, a Legend in the Booth,” a story about a make believe baseball announcer that loses his cool after discovering that his wife had been cheating on him.

Azaria filed the lawsuit in November …

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