Fresh Filings

Netflix, Top Hat Productions and other defendants have been sued in New York Supreme Court, New York County, in connection with the mini-series The Manhattan Alien Abduction, which began streaming on Netflix on Oct. 30. The complaint alleges that the defendants misappropriated the book Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions, owned by the estate of Budd Hopkins. According to the suit brought by the Law Offices of Robert J. Young on behalf of the plaintiff, the defendants fraudulently induced Linda Napolitano and UFO-ologist Peter Robbins into believing they were going to tell the truthful story of Napolitano's abduction but instead tried to disparage Linda and Peter's story to create skepticism around the truth. The case is Hopkins v. Netflix Inc. … DJ Paul and Juicy J, rappers and producers who are also founding members of Three 6 Mafia, filed a lawsuit in California Central District Federal Court targeting the hip-hop duo Suicideboys for alleged copyright infringement. The suit brought by King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano takes aim at Suicideboys, UMG Recordings, Capitol Records and other defendants for allegedly stealing elements of at least three dozen of the plaintiffs' songs. The plaintiffs sued the defendants over similar claims in 2020. The case is Beauregard v. Arceneaux Jr., 2:24-cv-09259. … TwineStudio, Audrey Hargro and Jonathan Hawker have been sued for breach of contract in Ohio Northern District Federal Court. The court action, filed by Bugbee & Conkle and Nyman IP on behalf of BMN Entertainment, accuses the defendants of failing to market, procure sponsorships and provide other promised services for the plaintiff's We Them Ones comedy tour. The case is BMN Entertainment LLC v. twineStudio LLC, 3:24-cv-01870. … Three Chord Strand Properties, sellers of merchandise under the Jonas Brothers brand, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Illinois Northern District Federal Court over the alleged sale of counterfeit goods. The suit, filed by Greer, Burns & Crain, pursues claims against unidentified e-commerce operators. The case is Three Chord Strand Properties LLC v. The Partnerships and Unincorporated Associations Identified on Schedule A, 1:24-cv-11012. … Media company Scripps sued Landmark Recovery Development, Landmark Recovery Marketing Agency and other defendants for breach of contract in Tennessee Chancery Court, Williamson County. The suit, brought by Ferraro Hancock & Associates, accuses the defendants of failing to pay for television advertisement placements. The case is Scripps Media Inc v. Landmark Recovery of Tennessee LLC, 94CH1-2024-CV-54025. … Sports social-commerce platform Millions Co. was hit with a breach-of-contract lawsuit in New York Southern District Federal Court. The court action, filed by Abrams Fensterman LLP on behalf of the Professional Fighters League, centers on a sponsorship agreement and accuses the defendant of failing to make $250,000 in installment payments. The case is Professional Fighters League LLC v. Millions Co., 7:24-cv-08124. … 4747 Entertainment and Berris Bolton were slapped with a copyright lawsuit in Tennessee Middle District Federal Court. The court action, brought by Buchalter on behalf of singer-songwriter Tori Rose, accuses the defendants of breaching a draft agreement by failing to provide artist services to the plaintiff. The suit seeks a declaration that the plaintiff is the sole author and owner of her recordings and compositions. The case is Rose v. 4747 Entertainment LLC, 3:24-cv-01273. … Charlotte Lockwood d/b/a Boujee-N-Banjee has been sued for copyright infringement lawsuit in Texas Northern District Federal Court. The suit, brought by attorney Jerald Davis and the Elaine Law Group on behalf of social media company McKenzie Global Marketing a/k/a Spiritual Word, accuses the defendant of posting the plaintiff's footage of the baby shower of "King Harris," son of rapper T.I., on X without authorization or permission. The case is McKenzie Global Marketing LLC v. Lockwood, 3:24-cv-02664. … Valve has been named in an antitrust class action in Washington Western District Federal Court in relation to its Steam Store, an online platform where consumers can purchase PC games from third-party game publishers. The complaint contends that Valve has used its monopoly power to stifle competition and impose anticompetitive restraints to ensure that cheaper alternatives cannot survive. According to the complaint, Valve restrains competition through the "Platform Most Favored Nation" clause that it imposes on any publisher hoping to sell its games on the Steam Store. The clause allegedly forbids publishers from offering their games on any competing platform for a cheaper price than it offers on the Steam Store. The suit is backed by Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy; Berger Montague; and Keller Rohrback. The case is Drake v. Valve Corp., 2:24-cv-01743. … Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in Michigan Western District Federal Court on behalf of online music publisher Freeplay Music. The complaint pursues claims against Boyne Resorts for the unauthorized use of Freeplay's produced music in a multitude of online marketing videos that were published on YouTube and Facebook. The case is Freeplay Music LLC v. Boyne Resorts, 1:24-cv-01118. … Bloomberg, talk show host Charlie Rose and other defendants were sued in New York Southern District Federal Court over claims of gender-based employment discrimination. The suit, brought by Stulberg & Walsh on behalf of a makeup artist, centers on the Charlie Rose Show. The suit accuses Rose of subjecting female staff members to inappropriate advances and sexual harassment. The case is Riggi v. Charlie Rose Inc., 1:24-cv-08066. … Scholastic Inc. was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit in New York Southern District Federal Court. The court action, brought by Klaris Law on behalf of Danomalous Productions, and authors Danny Abosch and John Maclay, centers on Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium, the stage adaptation of the Goosebumps novel Phantom of the Auditorium. According to the complaint, Scholastic induced the authors into agreements departing from industry standards by misrepresenting contractual obligations. The court action seeks a declaration that the authors are the sole owners of the play and corresponding cast album. The case is Abosch v. Scholastic Inc., 1:24-cv-08041. … Conservative personality Laura Loomer filed a $150 million defamation lawsuit against HBO and Bill Maher in Florida Circuit Court, Sumter County. The suit, which centers on HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, alleges the defendants broadcasted statements accusing Loomer of committing adultery with Donald Trump and of hatemongering against immigrants and minority groups. The suit was filed by Klayman Law Group. The case is Loomer v. Maher, 2024CA000504AXMX. … The Los Angeles Dodgers LLC sued the Stoli Group USA in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County. The lawsuit, brought by Mueller Christensen, contends the defendant failed to pay $700,000 pursuant to a settlement agreement for unpaid sponsorship fees. The case is Los Angeles Dodgers v. Stoli Group USA, 24STCV27476. … AMC Networks and A La Carte Productions have been sued by a "Jane Doe" actress in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, over alleged workplace sexual harassment. The suit, brought by the Sansanowicz Law Group, pertains to the plaintiff's performance of simulated sex scenes for the television series A La Carte. According to the complaint, the defendants gave the plaintiff various instructions that exceeded contractual and consensual bounds, then refused to pay nearly $25,000 after the plaintiff raised concerns about the misconduct. The case is Doe v. A La Carte Productions LLC, 24STCV27316. … Fox Rothschild filed an intellectual property lawsuit in Florida Middle District Federal Court on behalf of Moonbug Entertainment, an entertainment company known for creating animated and live-action shows for children, including Blippi. The suit targets Barry Dean Long d/b/a Kids Party Pros, which offers character rental services for events, such as birthday parties. The complaint contends that the defendant's use of the "Blippi" marks creates a likelihood of confusion as to the source, sponsorship, affiliation or endorsement of the defendant's goods and services. The case is Moonbug Entertainment Ltd. v. Long, 6:24-cv-01876. … Outfest, an LGBTQ-centered nonprofit that produces film festivals, runs a streaming platform and provides services for filmmakers, has been sued in California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, for alleged employment discrimination and defamation. The lawsuit was brought by Hennig Kramer LLP on behalf of a former executive director who accuses current and former board members of blaming him for Outfest's economic collapse in late 2023 despite his many warnings beforehand. The plaintiff also asserts that he endured retaliation for raising concerns about systemic racism and self-dealing within the company. The case is Navarro v. Outfest, 24STCV26537. … Musical artist Curtis J. Jackson III a/k/a 50 Cent and NYC Vibe sued jewelry company TraxNYC and Maksud Agadjani for trademark infringement and deceptive trade practices in New York Southern District Federal Court. The complaint accuses the defendants of selling knockoff versions of 50 Cent's cross-shaped necklace and using 50 Cent's name and likeness to promote the knockoff jewelry on TikTok and Instagram. The suit further contends that after 50 Cent confronted the defendants, they responded on social media, "Yo don't you got better things to worry about." The complaint was filed by Blank Rome. The case is Jackson v. Agadjani, 1:24-cv-07700. … Swisha-Blast Entertainment was named in a lawsuit filed by Michael Watts, founder of Houston-based rap label Swishahouse, in Texas Southern Federal District Court. The complaint alleges intellectual-property infringement and breach of fiduciary duty. The suit, brought by Fasthoff Law Firm, takes aim at Henry Guidry, who formed Swisha-Blast Entertainment with the plaintiff in 2000, for alleged infringement of the "Swishahouse" mark as well as alleged copyright infringement and violation of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act. The suit also accuses the defendant of misappropriating funds. Swishahouse is known for launching the careers of such artists as Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Paul Wall and Mike Jones. The case is Watts v. Guidry, 4:24-cv-03862. …  CryptoKnight, a "crypto-media" company that promotes cryptocurrency via livestreams and social media, filed a trademark infringement lawsuit in Florida Middle District Federal Court. The lawsuit, filed by Losey PLLC, takes aim at Rite Bodhi Ltd. and other defendants over their production of a reality show entitled Cryptoknights, purportedly intended to promote the sale of their $RITE crypto asset. The case is Cryptoknight LLC v. Rite Bodhi Ltd, 6:24-cv-01829. … Netflix and Luminant Media Inc. have been hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit in New Jersey District Federal Court. The court action, filed by Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of B. Nagel Films, accuses the defendants of copying the plaintiff's Boy Scout's Honor documentary's subject matter, structure and style to produce their own documentary. The case is B. Nagel Films LLC v. Netflix Inc., 2:24-cv-09693. … Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst and Flawless Records filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group in California Central District Federal Court. The court action accuses the defendant of breaching a recording agreement by fraudulently concealing royalty and profit statements, and consequently committing copyright infringement and withholding royalties and profits from the plaintiffs. The lawsuit further seeks a declaratory judgment granting the plaintiffs sole ownership of the Limp Bizkit master recordings. The suit was filed by Seddigh Arbetter. The case is Durst v. Universal Music Group Inc., 2:24-cv-08630.