Esq. | Breaking Legal News | Entertainment Law News | The Hollywood Reportertag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-14639342010-10-15T08:24:24-07:00Blog focusing on breaking legal news in entertainment and media. THR Esq. offers analysis on how industries in Hollywood are impacted and influenced by the law. Published by The Hollywood Reporter.TypePadHollywood Docket: 'Harry Potter' plagiarism case continues; Actor subpoenas Twitter for source of STD rumortag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e201348837d3f1970c2010-10-15T08:24:24-07:002010-10-15T08:24:24-07:00A British judge has allowed a lawsuit to go forward that alleges that J.K. Rowling plagiarized "Harry Potter" from the author of an obscure fantasy book, "Willy the Wizard." However, the judge described the plaintiff's chances of success as "improbable"...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: 'Dora' lawyer threatens to humiliate Nickelodeon; 'Hobbit' deal coming?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e201348830a9f1970c2010-10-14T08:48:25-07:002010-10-14T09:44:58-07:00Ah, lawyering at its nastiest: The attorney for the teen who voiced "Dora the Explorer" and sued Nickelodeon last week gave the network a deadline of 1 pm yesterday to settle. Or else? The lawyer says he will be "ramping...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: Google wants to charge the music industry for anti-piracy helptag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20133f5094c89970b2010-10-13T08:36:14-07:002010-10-13T08:39:54-07:00Today's must-read: The RIAA and the IFPI, two music industry trade groups, recently sent a letter to Google asking for more aid in tracking down pirated material online. Google said it would help, but only for a price -- frustrating...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: Undercover actor; 'Simpsons' opening pulled; 'Hobbit' divides Kiwi actors tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20134882240bc970c2010-10-12T08:09:57-07:002010-10-12T08:09:57-07:00Larry Wilcox, former star of the television series "CHiPs" pleaded guilty to securities fraud and then used his acting chops to go undercover to assist federal law enforcement in an investigation of stock price manipulation. [NYT] Remember when Paramount was...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: Comcast-NBCU merger condition; libel lawsuits down; 'Jonah Hex' tops most-pirated listtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20133f4fc0f7c970b2010-10-11T08:49:40-07:002010-10-11T08:49:40-07:00The DOJ and FCC are weighing requiring Comcast to accept arbitration in disputes over programming sales as a condition for blessing the company's acquisition of NBC Universal. [Bloomberg] Lawyers for Lionsgate and hostile investor Carl Icahn are back in court...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: MGM bankruptcy; Bergstein's gambling debt; appeals court reinstates MSNBC suittag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20134880da8f2970c2010-10-08T08:57:10-07:002010-10-08T08:57:10-07:00MGM is preparing to move ahead on a plan in bankruptcy court that would hand over most of the equity in the studio to its secured lenders and control of the studio to Spyglass Entertainment. The process is expected to...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: Anti-piracy pact released; Tivo patent reaffirmed; court sketch artist vs. ESPNtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20133f4e89722970b2010-10-07T08:38:02-07:002010-10-07T09:30:52-07:00The full text of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was published yesterday (here). Hollywood is supporting the measure, although it's clear that in order to win tech support, language regarding the liability of ISPs for copyright infringement was toned down. Also,...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: McTiernan speaks; SAGWatch probe; Foo Fighter fake-sues Scissor Sistertag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20133f4e214ad970b2010-10-06T08:43:41-07:002010-10-06T08:43:41-07:00"Die Hard" director John McTiernan, sentenced to a year in jail in connection with the Anthony Pellicano wiretapping scandal, breaks his silence in an interview with THR. He says he's not afraid of prison. [THR] Oksana Grigorieva won't be going...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: 'Hobbit' mediation; McTiernan sentenced; 'Real Housewives' heisttag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e2013487fc7918970c2010-10-05T11:26:59-07:002010-10-05T11:26:59-07:00New Zealand really wants that labor dispute over "The Hobbit" to be settled. In an effort to keep production of the film going in its country, it has deployed two senior ministers to mediate the dispute between Warner Bros. and...hollywoodreporterHollywood Docket: Lionsgate vs. Icahn; Fox vs. Dish; 'Greek' is most-pirated filmtag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451d69069e20133f4d6343d970b2010-10-04T08:56:27-07:002010-10-04T08:56:28-07:00Lawyers for Lionsgate were in a Manhattan Supreme Court on Friday attempting to throw out a lawsuit brought by Carl Icahn in his ongoing takeover efforts. Lionsgate is also trying to limit discovery, arguing that the studio has already cooperated...hollywoodreporter