Spillane Shaeffer Aronoff Bandlow LLP

entertainment

The attorneys of Spillane Shaeffer Aronoff Bandlow LLP have achieved nationwide recognition and expertise in litigating intellectual property and general business disputes in a wide variety of motion picture, television, music, internet, advertising and publishing cases.  They have represented motion picture studios and production companies, television networks and producers, record labels, music publishers, advertisers, publishing companies, and numerous creative and performing artists.  Among their notable achievements:

  • Defeating idea submission and copyright infringement claims, which were subject to mandatory contractual arbitration, against the popular NBC Universal motion picture “ALONG CAME POLLY
  • Defeating idea submission and copyright infringement claims, both in the trial court and on appeal, against the popular animated DreamWorks motion picture “ANTZ” Seals-McClellan v. DreamWorks, Inc.., 120 Fed. Appx. 3, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 25426 (9th Cir. 2004).
  • Defeating idea submission and copyright infringement claims, both in motions before the trial court and after a jury trial, against the television series “City Of Angel” produced by Steven Bochco.  Metcalf v. Bochco, 2006 WL 2472193 (9th Cir. 2006).
  • Defeating copyright co-authorship and accounting claims against hundred of musical cues in the successful television series “XENA – WARRIOR PRINCES” and “HERCULES – THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS” Kolton v. Universal Studios, Inc., 73 U.S.P.Q.2d 1603 (C.D. Cal. 2004).
  • Defeating idea submission and television format right claims asserted against the television series “FORGIVE ME” Endemol Entertainment v. Twentieth Television, Inc., 48 U.S.P.Q.2d 1524 (C.D. Cal. 1998).
  • Protecting rights in the famous fictional character “ZORRO” against an infringing advertising campaign designed to coincide with the DVD release of the popular motion picture “THE MASK OF ZORRO” TriStar Pictures, Inc. v. Del Taco, Inc., 59 U.S.P.Q.2d 1091 (C.D. Cal. 1999).
  • Defeating at arbitration personal injury claims brought against producer of reality program and prevailed on counterclaim relating to confidentiality provisions that were breached by participants when they disclosed information about the program.
  • Successfully prevailed on Anti-SLAPP motion brought in connection with libel claim brought by former Dodger and Yankee pitcher Steve Howe against Maxim Magazine article entitled “Felon Hall of Fame” that was about athletes who have run afoul of the law, recovered award of attorneys fees after motion.

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