Legal news
Marvel Sues to Avoid Copyright Termination on The Avengers
The fate of the Avengers is in the hands of the law. In a court filing even more serious than the Sokovia Accords, Disney‘s Marvel unit is suing to prevent the MCU’s most famous superhero team from falling into copyright termination. The stakes couldn’t be higher for the company behind the blockbuster superhero franchise: if they lose the copyright on the likes of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and co., the studio would be forced to share the Avengers’ identities with the heirs of their creators (i.e. the estates of Stan Lee, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan, and others). According to reporting by The Hollywood Reporter, the copyright for Spider-Man was the most recent to risk lapsing. Ditko’s estate filed a “notice of termination” on the character last month. Advertisement Related Video Essentia...
Nirvana “Nevermind Baby” Wants His Naked Image Removed from 30th Anniversary Reissue
Thirty years ago today (September 24th), Nirvana changed the shape of rock to come with their magnum opus, Nevermind, which boasted one of the most iconic album covers of all time. The 1991 grunge landmark is getting an expansive reissue for the occasion, but Spencer Elden — who posed as the swimming naked baby that graces Nevermind‘s cover — wants to leave his genitalia out of the artwork. Last month, Elden sued Kurt Cobain’s estate, the surviving members of Nirvana, and other parties, accusing them of child exploitation. He claimed that his legal guardians didn’t formally consent to his image being used on the album cover. Legal experts have called the case “frivolous” and “offensive” to victims of child pornography. As part of the lawsuit, Elden requested that the image be rem...
The Weeknd Sued for Copyright Infringement Over “Call Out My Name”
The Weeknd is being taken to court over alleged copyright infringement on his song “Call Out My Name.” According to a report by Pitchfork, producers Suniel Fox and Henry Strange, who collaborator as Epikker, filed the lawsuit on September 17th alleging that the track from the singer’s 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy is “strikingly and/or substantially similar, if not identical” to their own song “Vibeking” from 2015. The Weeknd’s collaborators Nicolás Jaar and Frank Dukes were also named in the suit. In the filing, Fox and Strange point out several similarities in the two songs, including that “Call Out My Name” uses the same scale degrees as “Vibeking,” particularly in the hook’s melody. “Both works are in a minor key. Both works are in a 6/8 meter that is less common in popular music. Both wo...
The Wire Creator Pulls Production on New Series from Texas Over Abortion Ban
David Simon, the creator of The Wire, is moving production on his upcoming HBO series out of Texas due to the state’s restrictive new abortion ban. “If an employer, this is beyond politics. I’m turning in scripts next month on an HBO non-fiction miniseries based on events in Texas, but I can’t and won’t ask female cast/crew to forgo civil liberties to film there,” Simon tweeted regarding his decision before asking, “What else looks like Dallas/Ft. Worth?” Some followers bristled at the writer’s stance, with one asking, “Were you expecting the entire female crew to need an abortion while there? This is so condescending to women and you don’t even realize it,” to which he responded, “No…I don’t anticipate anything other than that if even one of our employees requires full control of her own ...
T.I. and Tiny Avoid Charges for 2005 Sexual Assault, Drugging Allegations
T.I. and his wife, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, will not be charged in connection to an alleged sexual assault and drugging incident involving a US Air Force veteran. Los Angeles prosecutors began investigating the rapper and his wife in May after the woman filed a police report the month prior. Now, however, LA officials have deemed the case falls outside the 10-year statute of limitations, as the alleged abuse occurred in 2005 (via TMZ). As a result, they will not pursue charges. The allegations first came to light in March alongside accusations from 10 other individuals, all seeking criminal inquiries. That followed accusations posted on social media in January by a former friend of the couple, Sabrina Peterson, who claimed to have collected stories of abuse from over 34 women. Advertisement R...
G-Eazy Arrested in New York Following Brawl Outside Hotel
G-Eazy was arrested earlier this week in New York City and charged with allegedly punching two men in the face. The altercation occurred in the early hours of Friday morning outside The Standard, High Line hotel, the New York Police Department told Billboard. On Monday, September 13th, G-Eazy (whose real name is Gerald Earl Gillum) was brought in on misdemeanor assault charges. He was subsequently released after being given a ticket and instructed to appear in court on a later date. This is hardly the first time the artist has found himself in trouble with the law. He previously plead guilty to charges of assault, drug possession, and resisting arrest stemming from a 2018 incident with a bouncer at a nightclub in Sweden. At the time, he was fined $10,000, received a sentence...
Josh Homme’s 15-Year-Old Daughter Granted Restraining Order Against Father
Josh Homme’s daughter and eldest child, Camille Homme, has been granted a temporary restraining order against her father. Camille, 15, was granted the temporary restraining order in a Santa Monica, CA court on September 7th — a day before news broke that her two younger brothers had also sought protective orders. In an affidavit included in her court filing, Camille claims that her father has repeatedly threatened her mother, Brody Dalle, and her mother’s new boyfriend. She also says Homme has been physically and verbally abusive towards her and her brothers, and recounted instances in which he “physically disciplined” the children by “grabbing ears, jabbing shoulders, grabbing the back of our necks, slapping top of head, face palming (my brother) [sic].” Advertisement Related Video Camill...
Nicki Minaj’s Husband Kenneth Petty Pleads Guilty for Failing to Register as Sex Offender
Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty, who was convicted of first-degree attempted rape in 1995, has pleaded guilty for failing to register as a sex offender. Via NBC News and Pitchfork, he had initially pleaded not guilty, but in August reached a deal with prosecutors, and formally entered a guilty plea yesterday, September 9th. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 24th, 2022. In July of 2019, Petty moved from New York to California, at which time he was legally required to register. Law enforcement officials noted his failure to do so during a November 2019 traffic stop in Beverly Hills and arrested him. Petty walked free after posting $20,000 bail, but found himself arrested again in March of 2020 because he still hadn’t registered as a sex offender. In that instance,...
Afrika Bambaataa Sued for Sexual Abuse and Child Sex Trafficking
A new lawsuit alleges that Afrika Bambaataa sexually abused and trafficked a 12-year-old boy beginning in 1991 and continuing through 1995. Via Metropolis and Pitchfork, the suit was filed in New York State Supreme Court on August 4th, as part of the 2019 Child Victims Act, which temporarily opened a window for adults to sue over childhood sexual abuses even in cases where the statute of limitations had expired. The 64-year-old Afrika Bambaataa, who was born in New York as Lance Taylor, has been accused of sexual misconduct numerous times, with several different now-adult men saying they were molested as teenagers in the 1980s and ’90s. These latest allegations come on behalf of a plaintiff listed as John Doe, and include civil battery, assault, gross negligence, intentional...
Bill Cosby Scraps Comedy Tour Due to Pending Sexual Assault Trial
Looks like Bill Cosby won’t be heading out on a comedy tour any time soon. The disgraced comedian first let the ill-advised plan of some sort of post-prison stand-up comedy tour slip back in July, but according to a new report by TMZ, he’s been talked out of the idea because of yet another sexual assault lawsuit. The case in question was filed by Judy Huth, who alleges Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion back in the 1970s when was just 15 years old. Huth’s case isn’t exactly new either — it dates back to 2014, with Huth one of more than 60 women who have come forward over the years with allegations of rape, drug-induced sexual assault, sexual battery, and child sexual abuse towards the one-time icon. Advertisement Related Video However, the lawsuit was put on the back burne...
Jamie Spears Asks Court to End Britney Spears’ Conservatorship
Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, has acknowledged it’s time to #FreeBritney. According to NBC News, Jamie Spears has formally asked the Los Angeles Superior Court to end his daughter’s 13-year-long conservatorship. In a filing on Tuesday, Jamie said his 39-year-old daughter “is entitled to have this Court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.” “Ms. Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship,” the filing noted. “She wants to be able to make decisions regarding her own medical care, deciding when, where and how often to get therapy. She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight. She wants to be able to get married and have...
Britney Spears Cleared in Misdemeanor Assault Investigation
Britney Spears has been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident involving her housekeeper. Last month, Spears’ housekeeper alleged that the singer slapped a phone out of her hand after the two got into an argument regarding the veterinary care of Spears’ dog. Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigated Spears for misdemeanor domestic battery, but declined to file charges, citing insufficient evidence that a crime had occurred. Advertisement Related Video In a statement, Spears’ lawyer Mathew Rosengart described the allegations as “nothing more than sensationalized-tabloid fodder — an overblown ‘he said, she said’ regarding a cell phone.” “If this involved Jane Doe rather than Britney Spears it would not have been pursued or covered at all,” Rosengart added. Anyone can make an accusation ...
