K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - January 2025 #2

Sports:

• A North Carolina federal judge on Friday denied NASCAR‘s motion to dismiss a lawsuit lodged by two racing teams that accused the organization of maintaining a monopoly, saying it is too early to determine a dismissal because the teams sufficiently alleged antitrust claims. NASCAR Loses Bid To Toss Racing Teams’ Antitrust Suit – Law360
• House and Senate Republicans on Tuesday refiled legislation to bar transgender women and girls from competing on school sports teams that match their gender identity, jump-starting work on an issue the GOP promised to prioritize in the new year. GOP lawmakers look to ban transgender athletes from women’s sports – The Hill

MLB

• The Miami Marlins are nearing a resolution to a federal lawsuit filed by a baseball collector, James Kevin Gossett, who claimed the team failed to honor a deal to sell him a base used in a game where Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani made history by reaching 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. A court filing on Friday indicated that both parties are close to finalizing the matter but have been delayed due to the holiday season and scheduling conflicts. Marlins Near Settlement in Lawsuit Over Ohtani’s Milestone Base – USA Herald

NFL

• President Joe Biden signed the RFK Memorial Stadium Campus Revitalization Act on Monday, per the Associated Press, paving the way for the possibility of the Washington Commanders moving back to Washington D.C. This comes after the U.S. Senate passed the resolution by unanimous consent last month, giving the city the opportunity to negotiate with developers. President Joe Biden signs RFK Stadium bill into law, paving way for Commanders’ return to nation’s capital – CBS Sports

NCAA

• A former junior-college basketball player seeking to play one more season is not entitled to do so because he has played the maximum number of seasons allowed, the NCAA told a Mississippi federal court in defense of the eligibility policy the player seeks to upend. NCAA Insists Player Seeking One More Season Is Out Of Time – Law360

NBA

• Madison Square Garden told a federal judge Thursday that longtime New York Knick Charles Oakley deserves to have his long-running assault case thrown out and his lawyers sanctioned because he allegedly discarded text messages, a day after Oakley’s own spoliation claim. MSG Wants Ex-Knick’s Assault Case Booted Over Lost Texts – Law360

Entertainment:

MUSIC

• Travis Scott’s 2023 song “Telekinesis” copied a demo made by singer-songwriter Victory Boyd, according to a lawsuit against Scott, his collaborators on the track including performers SZA and Future, and several record labels and music publishers. Travis Scott, SZA, Future sued for alleged copyright infringement over 2023 hit ‘Telekinesis’ – Music Business Worldwide
• Martin Shkreli told a Brooklyn federal judge that the writer and producer of the one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album should weigh in on their rights to the work as the crypto project that purchased the album presses ahead with a suit accusing the pharma bro of keeping copies of the album after he was ordered to give them up. Shkreli says Wu-Tang Clan should have say in lawsuit over one-off album
• The widow of Parliament-Funkadelic‘s founding keyboardist told an MI federal judge that she should not be sanctioned in a royalty dispute with bandleader George Clinton, saying she didn’t try to hide what she said is an irrelevant settlement agreement with a record company. Keyboardist’s Widow Fights Sanctions in Royalty Case – USA Herald
• Two musicians sued Brazilian pop star Anitta and Universal Music Group, claiming they infringed the musicians’ copyrights by incorporating parts of their song into Anitta’s hit song “Funk Rave.” Songwriters File Copyright Lawsuit Over Anitta’s ‘Funk Rave’ – Law360
• A complaint that Donald Trump infringed the copyright to “Hold On (I’m Coming)” failed to plausibly claim Isaac Hayes’ heirs have any rights whatsoever to the song, the president-elect told a GA federal court. Trump Says Hayes’ Heirs Lack Proof of Rights in Copyright Spat

FILM & TELEVISION

• A writer suing Apple and filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan convinced a judge she has a valid copyright registration in her 2013 movie The Truth About Emanuel she says was copied in the Apple TV+ show Servant. Writer Suing Apple, Shyamalan Has Valid Copyright, Judge Rules
• Paramount Global urged a NY federal court to dismiss a CA man’s putative class action accusing it of unlawfully sharing streaming platform users’ personal information to third parties like Facebook and TikTok, saying the man lodged inadequate theories of disclosure and otherwise consented to the alleged disclosure. Paramount Wants Out Of User’s Video Privacy Suit – Law360
• Streaming platform Plex is urging a CA federal court to nix a proposed data privacy class action, accusing the plaintiffs of using the litigation as a tactic to “coerce” it into settling more than 400 pending arbitrations. Plex Says Subscriber’s Privacy Lawsuit Must Be Arbitrated – Law360
• A second Warner Bros. Discovery shareholder has sued the media giant and CEO David Zaslav in federal court, accusing them of misleading fellow investors about the company’s financial strength as attempts to renew its NBA media rights deal were disintegrating. Warner Bros., CEO Face 2nd Investor Suit Over Lost NBA Deal – Law360

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• Alec Baldwin accused the district attorney, two special prosecutors and other local officials of mishandling evidence, defaming him and maliciously abusing the judicial process in their unsuccessful pursuit of charges against him in the wake of the fatal shooting on the Rust set. Alec Baldwin sues for malicious prosecution over Rust trial
• KISS has settled a civil suit filed by its former hairstylist who accused the band of misclassifying him as an independent contractor and later firing him for raising complaints over allegedly lax COVID-19 safety practices. KISS Settles Contentious COVID Lawsuit with Hair Stylist
• Nicki Minaj‘s former tour manager has filed an assault lawsuit alleging the rapper slapped him repeatedly and threatened his life backstage after a concert last year. Nicki Minaj sued for assault and battery by ex-tour manager | WMIX
• Rapper Clifford “T.I.” Harris urged a CA federal judge to rethink his tentative decision slashing $53 million in punitive damages from a jury’s $71 million verdict against MGA Entertainment over infringement by its line of L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. dolls, arguing the jury’s advisory finding of willful infringement can’t be disregarded. TI And Tiny’s Massive Lawsuit Victory Reduced By Federal Judge
• Rapper Jay-Z asked that TX attorney Tony Buzbee be sanctioned for filing a lawsuit accusing him and embattled rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs of raping a 13-year-old girl, claiming inconsistencies in the girl’s story show Buzbee “knowingly filed a false complaint.” Jay-Z seeks to sanction rape accuser’s lawyer as legal fight escalates | Reuters
• Ye and his clothing company, Yeezy Apparel LLC, will pay $625,000 to resolve a class action accusing them of incorrectly classifying design workers as independent contractors and thus causing them to lose out on overtime wages, an order in CA state court said. Ye Inks $625K Deal To End Misclassification Suit – Law360