Posts by Steven T. Lowe
Dismissal of Copyright Infringement Suit Regarding What Men Want is Affirmed by the 9th Circuit
On March 3, 2022, a Ninth Circuit appellate panel upheld Judge Stanley Blumenfeld, Jr.’s granting of a motion to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit regarding the 2019 film What Men Want. Joe Carlini (“Carlini”), author of an unpublished screenplay entitled What the F Is He Thinking?, filed suit in August 2015 against Paramount Pictures, Black…
Read MoreLouisiana Musician Re-Files Copyright Infringement Suit Against Drake
On March 2, 2022, a Louisiana musician known as Sam Skully (“Skully”) filed a lawsuit in Louisiana federal court against recording artist “Drake” and Warner Music, among others, for allegedly stealing the instrumental from a song that Skully created, which Drake allegedly used in his hit singles “Nice for What” and “In My Feelings.” Skully…
Read MoreMyPillow CEO loses defamation suit against Daily Mail
On December 15, 2021, a Judge in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York ruled that Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow, did not have a sufficient claim for libel against the Daily Mail, and dismissed the claim. The Daily Mail, a British newspaper, claimed in an article that Lindell had a…
Read MoreBackground Report Company Ordered to Pay $21 Million for Misleading Users
On December 15, 2021, a United States District Court Judge in the Central District of California issued a large award and an injunction against MyLife.com, Inc., a company that provides users with background reports on individuals. The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) accused MyLife of displaying search results that implied the subject of the search had…
Read MoreCelebrities, Kim Kardashian and Floyd Mayweather, and Cryptocurrency Company Sued for Misleading Celebrity Endorsements
On January 7, 2022, an investor in the cryptocurrency “EthereumMax” filed a “proposed class action lawsuit” (the lawsuit will not officially become a class action until the judge presiding over the case grants “class certification”) against a boxer, Floyd Mayweather (“Mayweather”), Kim Kardashian (“Kardashian”), and former NBA player, Paul Pierce (“Pierce”). Mayweather, Kardashian, and Pierce…
Read MoreKaty Perry Rides Off Into the Sunset on $2.8 Million “Dark Horse”
On March 10, 2022, a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the reversal of a jury verdict by a District Court Judge in a case regarding Katy Perry’s (“Perry”) megahit “Dark Horse.” Perry was sued by a songwriter, Marcus Gray (“Gray”), who claimed that Perry copied his song “Joyful Noise.” Originally,…
Read MoreTV Series, “Servant” on Apple TV+ May Have Ripped Off Plot of “The Truth About Emanuel,” a 2013 Film Starring Jessica Biel
On February 22, 2022, the Ninth Circuit reversed and remanded (i.e., sent the case back to the lower court for further proceedings) a lower court decision dismissing a suit between writer-director Francesca Gregorini (“Gregorini”) and Apple TV. Gregorini sued Apple for copyright infringement in January 2020, claiming that Apple stole multiple elements including important portions…
Read MoreChurch of Scientology Loses Dispute with Former Member
On January 20, 2022, a California appeals court overturned an order that would have required former members of the Church of Scientology (“Scientology”) to arbitrate their claims against the church. Three of the four former members left the Church willingly, while the fourth was told they could no longer participate. They claim stalking and harassment…
Read MoreCardi B Wins $4M in Defamation Suit Against YouTuber
On January 24, 2022, Rapper Cardi B won a defamation case against Youtuber Latasha Kebe (“Kebe”) and her company, Kebe Studios. An eight-person jury in Georgia awardedCardi B $1.25 million in damages (including $250,000 in medical expenses) for defamation, invasion of privacy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The jury later increased that amount by…
Read More“13 Reasons Why” Lawsuit Against Netflix Dismissed by Federal Court Judge
On January 12, 2022, a California federal Judge dismissed a would-be class action lawsuit against Netflix. The Plaintiffs alleged that Netflix promoted their show “13 Reasons Why”, featuring a young woman who committed suicide, to the detriment of numerous teenagers who followed suit. Plaintiffs further alleged that Netflix had been given warnings from experts in…
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