Pausing the Game: Take-Two Seeks to Pause WWE Copyright Infringement Lawsuit

Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive has told an Illinois federal court that it wants to pause a tattoo artist’s copyright infringement lawsuit, as a ruling on a pending summary judgment motion could decide the case.

As we reported last year, tattoo artist Catherine Alexander filed a lawsuit against Take-Two and World Wrestling Entertainment, alleging that they infringed on her copyright. Between 2003 and 2008, Alexander created several unique tattoos for WWE superstar Randy Orton. While WWE allegedly offered Alexander $450,000 for the rights to use …

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Ex-Wrestlers Argue WWE Hid Risks of Head Injuries in Concussion Lawsuit

In a Second Circuit lawsuit, a group of former professional wrestlers argued that the statute of limitations did not lapse in their lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), as they knew about and hid the risks of head injuries.

As we reported earlier, 67 retired wrestlers sued WWE and its CEO, Vince McMahon, arguing that WWE failed to protect the health of its wrestlers. As a result, these retired wrestlers suffered concussions, CTE, and other brain injuries. The lawsuit was dismissed in September …

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WWE Counters Wrestlers’ Appeal in Concussion Lawsuit

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and its CEO, Vince McMahon, have fought back against 67 retired wrestlers who appealed the dismissal of their concussion lawsuit.

Beginning in 2014, these former wrestlers filed lawsuits against WWE, arguing that the organization failed to protect their health, which resulted in concussions, CTE, and other brain injuries. In September 2018, the Connecticut District Court dismissed the lawsuit as many of the plaintiffs stopped wrestling before WWE was aware of the risks of head trauma. The attorney for the plaintiffs, …

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Series on the Alliance of American Football: The Rise of the AAF

As a filmmaker and the son of legendary NBC television executive Dick Ebersol, Charlie Ebersol was motivated to create the Alliance of American Football (AAF) in late 2016 after producing the documentary This Was the XFL for ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 series. The Xtreme Football League (XFL) was the 2001 brainchild of Vince McMahon, CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The XFL, which aired on NBC, was designed to be an extreme version of spring professional football, but it was canceled after only one …

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Former Wrestler’s Widow Urges Court to Continue Wrongful Death Suit Against WWE

Nelson Frazier, Jr.’s widow filed a response brief to World Wrestling Entertainment’s motion to dismiss on Wednesday January 6, 2016, arguing that her complaint sufficiently claims the wrestling body concealed the potential risks of head injuries from their entertainers, which led to her husband’s death.

The WWE made a motion to dismiss in December, claiming that Frazier’s widow — who originally filed suit against them in February 2015, asserting a wrongful death action, amongst other things —  failed to sufficiently explain a causal connection between …

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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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WWE Becomes Latest Sports League to Face Concussion Litigation

On Thursday, October 23, Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment was added to the growing list of sports organizations facing concussion related litigation.  William Albert Haynes III, a former WWE wrestler, brought suit against the corporation with allegations similar to many other concussion lawsuits: that the WWE concealed and denied the medical research showing the effects of head trauma.

Haynes, known by his stage name “Billy Jack Haynes,” makes claims that follow most other concussion lawsuits claiming negligent misrepresentation, negligence, and liability for …

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