Tag: Lawsuits (27-39 of 47)

Nov 8 2011 01:09 PM ET

NBC, Andy Samberg sued for copyright infringement

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Shy-Ronnie

Image Credit: NBC

A lawsuit filed last week against Saturday Night Live‘s Andy Samberg and The Lonely Island is no laughing matter. According to documents obtained by EW, St. Louis musicians Aleric ”Rick tha Ruler” Banks and Monique Hines claim they created and copyrighted the music forming the basis for SNL digital shorts “Shy Ronnie” and “Like A Boss.” Banks and Hines say they sent master recordings to Samberg and his bandmates Akiva Shaffer and Jorma Taccone, who then recorded their own lyrics over the plaintiff’s music. The music for “Like a Boss” appeared on SNL April 4, 2009. “Shy Ronnie” aired Dec. 5, 2009, and was nominated for a 2010 Emmy.

NBC Universal, which owns SNL, and Universal Republic Records are also named in the suit. Banks and Hines claim they have received neither credit nor royalties for their music despite petitions to Universal Music Group. They are seeking all profits gained from the skits, plus attorney’s fees, unspecified additional damages, and interest.

NBC Universal has no comment on the litigation.

Oct 28 2011 07:29 PM ET

'Real World' alum Tonya Cooley claims she was raped, sues MTV for sexual assault, negligence

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Tonya-Cooley

Image Credit: Michael Bezjian/WireImage.com

UPDATE: A spokesperson for Bunim-Murray Productions tells EW, “After a thorough investigation, we have found Tonya Cooley’s claims to be completely baseless.”

ORIGINALLY: According to court papers obtained by EW, Real World Chicago castmember Tonya Cooley has filed suit against MTV, Bunim-Murray Productions, and reality stars Kenneth Santucci and Evan Starkman, claiming that she was sexually assaulted by Santucci and Starkman while filming The Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins, and that the producers of the program did nothing to stop it.  READ FULL STORY »

Oct 20 2011 09:30 AM ET

'Happy Days' lawsuit: Fraud claim thrown out by judge

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Back in April, members of the cast of Happy Days, including Marion Ross, Erin Moran, Don Most, Anson Williams, and the estate of the late Tom Bosley, filed a lawsuit against CBS, claiming that the network violated breach of contract and owed them for merchandising revenues that they had been cut out of. The $10 million suit claimed the stars of the sitcom “were guaranteed five percent of royalties profits if their images appeared on a product.”

CNN.com reported yesterday that the fraud claim was thrown out by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White, who ruled in favor of CBS. READ FULL STORY »

Sep 26 2011 06:17 PM ET

Official: Charlie Sheen settles suit with Warner Bros.

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It’s finally and officially over: Charlie Sheen and Warner Bros. TV have settled their differences.

The studio that produces Two and a Half Men just released this statement: “Warner Bros. TV, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen have resolved their dispute to the parties’ mutual satisfaction. The pending lawsuit and arbitration will be dismissed as to all parties. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality over the terms of the settlement.”

The payout to Sheen wasn’t disclosed, though some publications have speculated it to be as high as $25 million.

Warner Bros. TV pink-slipped the actor last winter after he publicly derided Men creator Chuck Lorre. Sheen fought back in March by filing a $100 million suit demanding payment for unproduced episodes and compensation for the crew while claiming the studio “wrongfully attributed the suspension of the series and termination of Mr. Sheen’s contract on Mr. Sheen’s alleged statements, conduct, and condition, despite the fact that Mr. Sheen is in compliance with his contract.”

At the 63rd Annual Emmys earlier this month, Sheen seemed to indicate that a settlement was on the horizon after making an unexpected appearance to say ”I want to take a moment to get something off my chest and say a few words to everybody at Two and a Half Men. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television.”

Sheen is focused on developing a new sitcom called Anger Management with Lionsgate TV and veteran TV scribe Bruce Helford (The Drew Carey Show).

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Sep 19 2011 05:57 PM ET

Charlie Sheen close to settling case with 'Men' ex-bosses, say sources

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Either Charlie Sheen has officially launched his rehabilitation tour, or he’s suddenly feeling flush with cash.

In the last week, Sheen has made appearances that suggest he’s ready to close the book on his ugly goodbye from Two and a Half Men. Is the Cold War with his ex-bosses over? It could be: EW has learned from several sources that Sheen is thisclose to settling his lawsuit against Warner Bros., which pink-slipped the actor last winter after he publicly derided Men creator Chuck Lorre. Sheen fought back in March by filing a $100 million suit demanding payment for unproduced episodes and compensation for the crew while claiming the studio “wrongfully attributed the suspension of the series and termination of Mr. Sheen’s contract on Mr. Sheen’s alleged statements, conduct, and condition, despite the fact that Mr. Sheen is in compliance with his contract.” The settlement is expected to be in the eight-figure range.

Warner Bros. denied there is a settlement and declined to comment further. Stay tuned.

At the 63rd Annual Emmys on Sunday, Sheen made an unexpected appearance to say ”I want to take a moment to get something off my chest and say a few words to everybody at Two and a Half Men. From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television.” Last Thursday, he told Jay Leno “I would have fired my ass too,” and followed it up on NBC’s Today by saying he’d be willing to make a guest appearance on the CBS comedy.

Sheen does have something to promote: He agreed to a (fairly vindictive) roast by Comedy Central, which airs tonight. In the meantime,  Sheen is focused on developing a new sitcom called Anger Management with Lionsgate TV and is in talks with veteran TV scribe Bruce Helford (The Drew Carey Show) about fine-tuning the pitch before it goes to market. After courting other comedy writers like Greg Garcia (Raising Hope) or Chris Case (Retired at 35, Reba) to spearhead the project, Lionsgate has set its sights on Helford — a sitcom veteran who also executive produced George Lopez.

Sep 9 2011 03:24 PM ET

NBC secures Golden Globes broadcast

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As it became clear the dispute over television rights for the Golden Globes wouldn’t be settled in time to prepare next year’s broadcast, a deal was brokered. While the face-off between the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and Dick Clark Productions has been delayed until the start of October, the HFPA has confirmed that the two organizations made a one-year deal with NBC to broadcast the event on Jan. 15, 2012. The non-jury trial, which is expected to take about two weeks, was also handed over to Judge A. Howard Matz, a senior judge of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Though there have been rumors about an out-of-court settlement, HFPA sources denied that possibility.

Read more:
HFPA says Golden Globes ‘show will go on,’ regardless of lawsuit

Aug 30 2011 04:45 PM ET

L.A. judge pares down Nicollette Sheridan's suit against ABC

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Nicollette-Sheridan

Image Credit: Todd Williamson/WireImage

Nicollette Sheridan’s prospects are getting slimmer in her wrongful termination lawsuit against ABC and Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry, reports the Associated Press. After limiting the damages the former Housewives villainess could win at October’s trial, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White urged Sheridan to resolve the suit. “You’re going to spend a lot of money on this case,” White told attorneys.

According to Sheridan’s suit, she was unceremoniously fired from the show after complaining about physical abuse from Cherry. Under White’s ruling, Sheridan is only eligible for one season’s wages (roughly $980,000), though she initially sought at least two on the basis of options in her contract. READ FULL STORY »

Jul 29 2011 05:31 PM ET

Oprah Winfrey sued for trademark infringement over use of 'OYP'

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Oprah Winfrey is being sued for trademark infringement. According to court papers filed July 28 in New Jersey obtained by EW, the talk show maven — and OWN CEO — has been slapped with a lawsuit over her usage of the acronym OYP, otherwise known as “Own Your Power.” Simone Kelly-Brown and Own Your Power Communications, Inc., the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, claim the motivational communication services company originated the acronym and concept that people can “life their best life” if they believe that “anything you want in life is attainable,” and even solidified their usage by petitioning the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to obtain exclusive ownership of the term “Own Your Power.” Then Harpo Studios, the suit alleges, began to use the registered letters to “identify Harpo [and] Oprah … as advocates for individuals to ‘live [their] best life’ through self-awareness and motivational communication, the same type as OYP services.”

The plaintiffs say in the papers that they are seeking damages to reverse Winfrey and Harpo’s “brazenly unlawful disregard for the existence and use of [OTP's] trademark.”

“Under such circumstances,” the suit continues, “with [Winfrey and Harpo] being much larger, spending more money, having a wider reach, and an overlapping audience with the much smaller Company, particularly with one of the most influential women in the world at the helm … [OTP has] been irreparably harmed.”

A Harpo spokesperson issued the following statement to EW regarding the suit: “Harpo has not been served and we have no information about what allegations are being made.”

Read more:
Oprah Winfrey named CEO of OWN
Oprah Winfrey on OWN: ‘It’s not where I want it to be’ — EXCLUSIVE
Oprah Winfrey Show: 12 Memorable Episodes

Jul 13 2011 01:15 PM ET

'Battlestar' creator sues Universal over profits

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Glen A. Larson claims he’s owed a lot of frakkin’ money by Universal. The producer behind such hits as Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, and Six Million Dollar Man, among other series, filed a fraud and breach of contract lawsuit against Universal Tuesday in Los Angeles over profits from the TV shows, which he says were withheld from him. READ FULL STORY »

Jun 15 2011 03:45 PM ET

Charlie Sheen case against Warner Bros. will not go to trial

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Charlie-Sheen

Image Credit: George Pimentel/WireImage.com

L.A. Superior Court Judge Alan Goodman ruled today that Charlie Sheen’s case against Warner Bros. will proceed in arbitration rather than go to trial, a ruling that will ultimately work in the studio’s favor.

Warner Bros. issued a statement reacting to the ruling: “We’re very gratified by the court’s ruling enforcing the parties’ arbitration agreement.”

A rep for Sheen had no comment.

Back in early March, Sheen filed a $100 million lawsuit claiming that Two and a Half Men creator Chuck Lorre and the studio wrongfully attributed “the suspension of the series and termination of Mr. Sheen’s contract on Mr. Sheen’s alleged statements, conduct, and condition, despite the fact that Mr. Sheen is in compliance with his contract.”

Sheen’s team fought to get him a trial and had previously requested to halt arbitration proceedings; however, that request was denied soon after.

Related:
Charlie Sheen’s mansion is for sale. Is he broke?
Charlie Sheen did not submit name for Emmys
Ashton Kutcher’s ‘Two and a Half Men’ deal only spans one year: report
Ashton Kutcher takes CBS stage: ‘I won the lotto’

May 3 2011 06:35 PM ET

Nicollette Sheridan's 'Desperate Housewives' wrongful termination suit heading to trial

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nicollette-sheridan

Image Credit: Danny Feld/ABC

Nicollete Sheridan’s lawsuit against Marc Cherry and ABC is cooking up more drama than Edie Britt herself: A Los Angeles Superior Court judge ruled Tuesday that the lawsuit — which alleged she was wrongfully terminated from Desperate Housewives after getting into an argument with Cherry, the series’ creator — will go to trial. According to the Associated Press, an attorney for Cherry claimed the series had decided to kill off Edie months before their tiff. The actress’ lawyer, however, said that they had told Sheridan her ouster was a cost-cutting measure — which didn’t make sense, considering she was still owed money for the remainder of the season after Edie’s midseason car accident death. A jury will decide whether or not Sheridan can receive damages on wrongful termination, battery, and unlawful retaliation claims. “I’m very happy that I’m being treated fairly,” Sheridan told reporters after Tuesday’s hearing. When the lawsuit was first filed, Sheridan claimed she had suffered emotional distress and physical and emotional abuse; she has since dropped those claims. A lawyer for the defense told EW: “We’re pleased with the rulings. There’s very little left of Ms. Sheridan’s case … We’re confident that a jury looking at all of the evidence and the many witnesses we have will find that Edie Britt was killed off for lawful reasons and that Mr. Cherry never battered Ms. Sheridan as she claims.”

Read more:
‘Desperate Housewives’ star Nicollete Sheridan suing series creator Marc Cherry
Nicollete Sheridan’s lawyer says ‘Desperate Housewives’ lawsuit could get ugly. Who’s bracing for prime-time drama?
Nicollette Sheridan drops abuse charges in ‘Desperate Housewives’ lawsuit

Apr 19 2011 06:34 PM ET

'Happy Days' cast sues CBS over royalties

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According to papers obtained by EW, several Happy Days stars — and the estate of late actor Tom Bosley — have filed a lawsuit against CBS, claiming the network violated breach of contract by cutting them out of merchandising revenues. Anson Williams, Don Most, Marion Ross, Erin Moran, and the Bosley estate, the suit says, were guaranteed 5 percent of royalties profits if their images appeared on a product. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, is asking for $10 million; the plaintiffs claim they are owed millions. A CBS spokesperson said in response to the lawsuit, “We agree that funds are owed to the actors and have been working with them for quite some time to resolve the issue.”

Mar 25 2011 08:01 PM ET

Bret Michaels files lawsuit against CBS, Tonys for 2009 injury

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Bret-Michaels

Image Credit: Michael Tran/FilmMagic.com

News that is so not rock and roll for CBS and the Tonys: Bret Michaels filed a lawsuit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court against the network and the Awards, stemming from his on-stage injury during a Rock of Ages-inspired performance at the 2009 Tony Awards. In the suit, Michaels claims he asked producers whether there were any instructions as to where he should stand on the stage during his performance, but was only told to “simply exit the stage from the rear.” After singing “Nothin’ But a Good Time” — one of the songs used in Broadway’s Rock of Ages — the Poison rocker was hit by a piece of stage scenery. (Michaels had to check into the hospital for X-rays and stitches after suffering a broken nose and cut lip.) Says the suit, “Michaels was never told that the scenery piece would be descending or given any warning of the existence of the dangers it presented. Quite the opposite, Michaels specifically asked for instructions regarding how to exit after his performance and was just told to walk off the rear of the stage — in what was ultimately the danger zone.”

In the suit, Michaels, who is seeking unspecified damages, also claims the producers faulted him for the mix-up, telling press that he had “missed his mark.” READ FULL STORY »

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