Tag "legal disputes"

Judge Rules for Marvel in Kirby Heirs’ Copyright Claim

July 28, 2011 by Thomas J. McLean No Comments divider image

A federal judge has ruled the heirs of comic book artist Jack Kirby cannot reclaim copyrights to such well-known Marvel characters as the Fantastic Four, Hulk and the X-Men. Kirby’s heirs had filed in 2009 notices of copyright termination with Marvel for dozens of characters the artist had created or [...]

DreamWorks Nears Netflix Deal, Wins Copyright Trial

July 26, 2011 by Thomas J. McLean No Comments divider image

The deal machine is working overtime at DreamWorks Animation, which is reportedly close to a streaming content deal with Netflix. According to The Hollywood Reporter and Bloomberg, the deal would replace one DreamWorks has in place with HBO that runs through 2014. However, HBO may offer to terminate the deal [...]

4Kids Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

April 7, 2011 by Thomas J. McLean 2 Comments divider image

The legal dispute over the licensing for Yu-Gi-Oh! has taken a toll on 4Kids Entertainment, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New York. The filing stays the Yu-Gi-Oh! suit and allows the company to continue to manage its operations while it comes up with a restructuring plan. [...]

U.K. Writer Claims Pixar Stole His ‘Cars’ Proposal

March 22, 2011 by Thomas J. McLean 6 Comments divider image

A British screenwriter has filed a lawsuit claiming Pixar stole the idea for Cars from screenplays he shopped around to studios in the early 1990s, and is seeking an injunction to stop the June 24 release of Cars 2, writes The Hollywood Reporter. The suit was filed by Jake Mandeville-Anthony in [...]

Plaintiff Wins Ruling in ‘Kung Fu Panda’ IP Lawsuit

December 8, 2010 by Thomas J. McLean No Comments divider image

The man behind a lawsuit against DreamWorks Animation claiming the studio stole his idea for a kung-fu fighting panda bear and turned it into Kung Fu Panda, has won a ruling that will let him examine the studio’s books, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The ruling denies a motion by [...]