A feud between a billionaire art collector and a gallery owner continued in a Manhattan court on June 5, 2013. The head of Forbes Holdings Inc. & MacAndrews, Ronald Perelman, is suing Larry Gagosian over past art deals. The case started in September 2012 when both parties filed claims against each other on the same day in the same New York court. Gagosian accused Perelman of backing out of a $23 Million art deal. Perelman’s suit asserts that Gagosian manipulated art prices and concealed information …
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AEG President Gets Hostile on the Witness Stand in Jackson Suit
A California courtroom heated up on Wednesday, June 5, 2013 during testimony of AEG Live LLC’s (AEG) president Randy Phillips. In 2010, Michael Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, sued AEG for negligently hiring and supervising Dr. Conrad Murray. Dr Murray served as Jackson’s physician during the 2009 “This Is It” concert series and was convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of Jackson. The lawsuit contends that AEG, and AEG executives ignored signs that should have alerted them that Jackson’s life was in danger.
Phillips, a named co-defendant …
Continue ReadingDr. Phil Gets Even With ‘Deadspin’ For Te’o Spoilers
Dr. Phil’s production company is finally trying to put the popular sports blog Deadspin in the spotlight. Peteski Productions Inc. (Peteski), the production company behind “The Dr. Phil Show,” asked a Texas federal court Tuesday June 4, 2013 to enter default judgment for a copyright infringement suit against Deadspin. Peteski filed the suit on May 6, 2013 alleging that Deadpsin infringed on the TV show’s copyrights by publishing video excerpts of an interview between Dr. Phil and Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.
Tuiasosopo is the man (or woman) …
Continue ReadingNFL, Baltimore Ravens Object to Court-Designed Royalties in Logo Case
The Baltimore Ravens and the National Football League are asking the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the December 2012 decision of a Maryland federal judge in a long-running copyright dispute with Franklin Bouchat. The decision at issue entered an injunction that prevents the Ravens and the NFL from selling or showing clips in which the old “Flying B” logo is visible. The injunction does allow the two entities to use the logo, but, if they do, they must first pay Bouchat royalties. The …
Continue ReadingLatest Mitchell Quarterly Report Continues Praise of Penn State’s Progress Post-Sandusky Scandal
Penn State is apparently continuing to make steady progress in moving past the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. Last week, former Senator George Mitchell, the third-party independent athletics integrity monitor, issued a third quarterly report (which can be found at by clicking here.) stating that University officials have given his team nothing but “full cooperation” as the institution works to implement various reforms after sanctions were imposed on Penn State stemming from the Sandusky scandal. Like Mitchell’s two prior reports, his third quarterly …
Continue ReadingIf It’s In the Game …
This past week, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in the case Ryan Hart v. Electronic Arts, Inc., Index No. 11-3750, paved the way for a showdown that could fundamentally change the way the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) goes about its business. In the case, Hart alleged that Electronic Arts (EA) had violated his right of publicity under New Jersey law by including his “likeness” in its video games NCAA Football 2004, 2005, and 2006. EA had previously won a motion …
Continue ReadingFor The Third Time, California Courts Rule that the NFL Remains the Away Team
The National Football League (NFL) suffered its third blow from a California appeals court on Tuesday, May 28, 2013. First, the NFL-favored venue of California for the concussion related suits was denied; second, the NFL’s least preferable venue of New York was allowed; and now, California says the NFL will be the visiting team in New York court against 32 insurance companies.
The NFL is looking to pass the bill to insurers for its concussion related lawsuits. The League argued for California jurisdiction …
Continue ReadingTouchdown Jets! Federal Judge Rules New York Football Team Can Use “Ultimate Fan” Phrase
New York Jets LLC recently scored a touchdown when a Louisiana Federal Court ruled that a sports marketing company no longer owned the trademark to “Ultimate Fan.” On May 30th, United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo of the Eastern District of Louisiana granted the Jets’ motion for summary judgment against Action Ink Inc. holding that the ‘Ultimate Fan’ trademark was abandoned and Action Ink had no enforceable trademark rights to the phrase.
Action Ink sued the Jets in 2012 claiming that it …
Continue ReadingFunk Band Finally Listens to Hip-Hop, Files Suit Over Sample Used in 2003 Track
1970’s funk band Bloodstone filed suit in Missouri federal court on May 20, 2013 against Universal Music Group, Inc. (UMG) for copyright infringement of their 1979 song “I’m Just Doing My Job.” The Complaint, filed by members of Bloodstone alleges that UMG gave rappers T.I. and Kanye West a license to sample the 1979 song for use in TI’s hit “Doin’ My Job” without permission from the band. Bloodstone members Charles Love, Harry Williams, and Charles McCormick retain the sound recording and composition rights for …
Continue ReadingFormer Hockey Player Derek Boogaard’s Family Sues NHL for Wrongful Death
The family of a National Hockey League (NHL) player who died of an accidental overdose from pain medications and alcohol has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the league in Cook County, Illinois. The family of Derek Boogaard alleges that the NHL is responsible for the brain damage he suffered during his years in the league and for his eventual addiction to prescription pain killers. Boogaard was found dead of an accidental overdose of pain medication and alcohol on May 13, 2011 at the age …
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