Hollywood Docket: 'Hobbit' mediation; McTiernan sentenced; 'Real Housewives' heist

• New 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 a local union. [THR]

• "Die Hard" director John McTiernan was sentenced to a year in prison for lying to federal authorities regarding his role in the wiretapping case of Anthony Pellicano. [LAT]

• The FCC has made a second information request over Comcast's proposed acquisition of NBCU. [THR]

• A full 11-judge panel at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has voted to rehear claims brought by two individuals who alleged NBCU stole an idea for the show "Ghost Hunters" on the SyFy Channel. Previously, a three-judge panel for the 9th Circuit upheld a lower court's dismissal of the case. [CNS]

• Apple is challenging a $625 million jury verdict that found the company had infringed three patents relating to how digital media files are displayed on the iPod, the iPhone and Macintosh. It was the fourth-largest patent verdict in US history. [NYT]

• The crew behind "The Real Housewives of New York City" were so glued to the women cast-members at a hotel that they failed to guard the Bravo van parked outside. Thieves struck and robbed the production of $30,000 worth of equipment. [NYP]