Those “Bare Necessities” — Heirs of Jungle Book Songwriter Seek Royalties From Disney’s VHS and DVD Sales

Children of the late Terry Gilkyson, a folk singer and composer, plead with a California appeals court Thursday to revive their lawsuit against two factions of the Walt Disney Company. The plaintiffs claim Disney owes the estate years of royalties due to their father’s deal with the company — Gilkyson wrote the “Bare Necessities” song for the 1967 movie classic, The Jungle Book.

Gilkyson’s heirs commenced the lawsuit in Texas state court during July 2013. The plaintiffs claim the estate is owed royalties, pursuant …

January 10, 2016 Celebrities / Fraud / Litigation

“The O.C.” Star Sues Mother for Fraud

Mischa Barton — former star of the hit TV show “The O.C.” — filed suit against her mother, Nuala Barton, in April, alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duties, among other causes of action. On January 3, 2016, a California judge determined that Mischa Barton’s suit did not adequately allege fraud, but told the actress that she may amend her complaint.

Barton’s complaint writes that the “action arises from the tragic tale of a greedy stage mother posing as a talent manager who, instead of …

January 9, 2016 Litigation / NFL

Parents of Youth Soccer League in San Francisco Sue Over Upcoming Super Bowl Media Frenzy

In leading up to Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, the football world will descend upon the San Francisco 49ers’ Levi Stadium. In particular, the media will descend upon the Santa Clara Youth Soccer Park, which is directly adjacent to the stadium and boasts world-class grass conditions.

The media plans to form a “media village” on the youth league’s three fields, and alterations are already underway as of this past Monday, January 4. Soccer moms and dads are not happy, and parents and coaches …

January 8, 2016 Copyright

Quit Monkeying Around! Judge Dismisses PETA’s Copyright Suit in Monkey Selfie Case

If Congress intended to give animals standing in the Copyright Act, “they would have done so plainly,” said California U.S. District Court Judge William H. Orrick III.

In 2015, photographer David Slater published a photo in which a monkey — a crested macaque, to be exact — took a picture of itself with Slater’s camera. PETA sued Slater and his publisher under the Copyright Act, arguing the primate should be “declared the author and owner of his photograph.”

However, in a preliminary ruling on January …

January 8, 2016 Concussions / NCAA / NHL / Soccer

Sports Litigation and Cases to Keep an Eye on in the New Year (Part II)

Part one of our look ahead at some of hottest sports litigation topics focused on the Deflategate appeal and the battle in New Jersey over the legalization of sports betting. Today, we’ll look at the latest surrounding the NCAA anitrust litigation, concussion litigation in the NHL, and the FIFA corruption scandal.

NCAA Antitrust Litigation

The Ninth Circuit’s recent decision in O’Bannon v. NCAA cleared the way for collegiate schools to offer student athletes the full cost of attending college, but also prevents schools from …

January 7, 2016 Fantasy Sports

Not So Fast! FanDuel Argues Plaintiffs in California Lawsuit Agreed to Arbitrate Disputes

In Delgado v. Fanduel, Inc., FanDuel argued in motion papers on Monday that the plaintiffs cannot escape the arbitration clause in the company’s user agreement. The case is a proposed false advertising class action filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in December 2015.

FanDuel, alongside its rival, DraftKings, Inc., is a leader in the booming daily fantasy sports (DFS) industry. Following an alleged insider trading scandal in late-September 2015, FanDuel and DraftKings were forced to face dozens of …

January 7, 2016 Litigation / MLB / NBA / NCAA / NFL / NHL

Sports Litigation and Cases to Keep an Eye on in the New Year (Part I)

2015 was a year full of highly debated controversies in the world of sports litigation. However, the debating isn’t over quite yet as some of the most notorious cases of 2015 will have litigation continuing into the new year. From “Deflategate” to the FIFA corruption scandal, this post is part one of notable sports cases you should be sure to follow in 2016.

“Deflategate” Appeal

Deflategate was one of the most talked about controversies in sports in 2015, as it involved allegations of the ever-popular …

January 6, 2016 Celebrities / Litigation

Camille Cosby Wins the Battle, Not the War

Camille Cosby was set to be deposed in a sexual misconduct and defamation lawsuit filed by seven different accusers against her husband, comedian Bill Cosby, on Wednesday, January 6, 2016 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In an attempt to block the subpoena, Mrs. Cosby’s attorneys filed a motion to quash the subpoena for the deposition on the basis that information gathered would be protected by the marital privilege. The motion to quash was denied by United States Magistrate Judge David H. Hennessy. The Magistrate wrote that he …

January 6, 2016 NFL / TV

Sports Legislation and Regulation in 2016: The Hot Topics (Part II)

In the first part of our look ahead to what are some of the hottest sports legislation topics, we focused on the battle surrounding daily fantasy sports sites FanDuel and DraftKings, along with the FCC’s potential ruling on “linear” online video platforms that offer sports streaming. Today, we’ll look at the fate of the Washington Redskins’ name and a bill that could end sports blackouts.

THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS’ MONIKER

In July 2015, a federal judge ordered the cancellation of the Washington Redskins’ federal trademark registrations. …

January 5, 2016 Fantasy Sports

NY Attn. Gen. Schneiderman Amends Complaints v. DraftKings, FanDuel on Eve of Appellate Hearing

Following the New York trial court’s ruling to grant NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s preliminary injunction motion, DraftKings and FanDuel — the industry leaders in daily fantasy sports (DFS) — immediately appealed. The appellate division granted the companies an interim stay of the preliminary injunction, as well as an expedited hearing date for the appeal, which was scheduled for January 4, 2016.

At issue in New York is whether DFS constitutes unlawful gambling under current state laws. AG Schneiderman believes it does. The …

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