K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - December 2024

Sports:

NHL

• The Canadian Hockey League and its affiliate organizations have been dismissed from an antitrust suit alleging they entered unlawful deals allowing them to exploit junior players and illegally profit from their labor. Canadian Hockey League Dropped From Teen Players’ Antitrust Suit – Bloomberg

NCAA

• The California federal judge overseeing the NCAA name, image and likeness class action that is nearing closure issued guidelines Tuesday for third-party servicing companies offering to help student athletes secure their portion of a preliminarily approved $2.78 billion settlement. Judge Heads Off Misleading Solicitation In NCAA NIL Deal – Law360
• 52-year-old Earl Lamont Taylor worked with Quentin Jackson, a former N.C. State basketball player, and Edward Whitaker to obtain fraudulent loans, according to court records and trial evidence. Raleigh basketball scout convicted of stealing nearly $300,000 in COVID-19 relief funds – WRAL News

NBA

• Investors are calling foul over Warner Bros. Discovery‘s loss of its NBA media rights deal. A lawsuit filed this week in New York federal court alleges that shareholders suffered “significant losses and damages” over the company’s inability to hold onto its NBA contract, which prompted Warner Bros. Discovery to take a $9-billion write-down in the value of its basic cable networks, including TNT, which had carried NBA games since 1989. Investors slam Warner Bros. Discovery with lawsuit over loss of NBA deal – LA Times

MLB

• A commercial affiliate of the Major League Baseball Players Association reached a licensing agreement with FanDuel after agreeing to dismiss a lawsuit against the company. MLB players’ union affiliate reaches agreement with FanDuel after agreeing to dismiss lawsuit – AP

Entertainment:

MUSIC

• Rapper Drake, who engaged earlier this year in a diss track war with Kendrick Lamar that ended with the release of Lamar’s hit “Not Like Us,” is accusing Universal Music Group and Spotify of conspiring to artificially inflate the popularity of the now double-platinum track by using bots, pay-to-play agreements and other shady tactics, Drake alleged in a Manhattan court filing. Drake alleges Universal falsely inflated popularity of Kendrick Lamar diss track ‘Not Like Us’ | AP News Drake is also alleging that despite knowing the single falsely accused Drake of being a “certified pedophile,” UMG chose to boost the song across radio airwaves by potentially making illicit payments to iHeartMedia. Drake Files 2nd Action Against UMG, Claiming Defamation

FILM & TELEVISION

• A CA federal court dismissed a cameraman’s latest copyright lawsuit against Netflix over Tiger King, ruling he should’ve included his 2023 claims in his original 2020 dispute. Netflix Gets International ‘Tiger King’ Copyright Suit Tossed
• A CA federal judge dismissed a proposed class action accusing Netflix and its executives of misleading investors about growth challenges tied to account sharing, concluding “further leave to amend would be futile,” since the investor plaintiffs were already given a chance to show that statements made were misleading. Netflix defeats shareholder lawsuit over growth forecasts | Reuters
• A CA federal judge refused to toss an indie director’s claims that filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan copied her movie to make the TV show Servant for Apple TV+, agreeing with the 9^th Circuit that the issue of whether the two works are substantially similar will need to be resolved by a jury. Apple, Shyamalan Can’t Dodge IP Suit Over ‘Servant’ Series – Law360

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• A CA judge overseeing a dispute between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie over a multimillion-dollar French winery ruled that Pitt must disclose documents and communications that Jolie says will prove he sought to cover up his domestic violence against her and their children. Brad Pitt Ordered to Release Documents in Ongoing Winery Legal Battle with Angelina Jolie; Here’s What Will Happen If He Doesn’t
• A model who appeared as a contestant on America’s Next Top Model sued Universal Music Group Inc. and Ye in NY federal court, alleging the rapper choked and sexually assaulted her during a music video shoot at the Chelsea Hotel in 2010. Kanye West Sued for Assault of ‘ANTM’ Alum Jenn An at Music Video Shoot: Reports
• The 9^th Circuit upheld an insurer’s favorable ruling in its legal dispute with actress Amber Heard, affirming that she had no right to independent counsel paid for by New York Marine and General Insurance Co. in a defamation suit by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp. 23-3399.pdf
• A lawyer representing disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein said that his client is suing NYC and its agencies for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care at its Rikers Island jail complex and subjecting him to “cruel and unusual punishment” while he awaits a new trial on sexual assault charges. Harvey Weinstein’s lawyers file complaint against NYC alleging poor medical care and ‘gulag’ conditions at Rikers Island
• Longtime talk show host Charlie Rose reached a confidential settlement Sunday to end claims he sexually harassed three former CBS News staffers, averting a looming jury trial set for the next day in NY state court. Ex-TV host Charlie Rose settles sexual harassment lawsuit years after his #MeToo-era ouster | AP News
• A CA federal judge ordered Bravo TV star Lala Kent to show cause as to why her trademark infringement suit against a cosmetics company shouldn’t be dismissed for lack of prosecution. Lala Kent, Inc. v. Cosmesi, LLC | CV 24-07713-SPG-BFM | C.D. Cal. | Judgment | Law | CaseMine