In a shocking lawsuit, an author claimed that Disney stole his idea in their film, Pirates of the Caribbean. In the film, the pirates transform into living skeletons under moonlight. This author failed at attempting to make billions when a federal judge ruled in Disney’s favor. Royce Matthew, the plaintiff in this suit, has failed several times in lawsuits regarding the wildly successful Pirates of the Caribbean films. His first lawsuit attempt dates back to 2005, promptly followed by a second attempt in 2006. The 2006 lawsuit was quelled when Disney revealed old “theme park art” that dated far beyond Royce Matthew’s claims. This art proved that Disney independently put forth the idea of “unique supernatural elements”. After this event, Matthew signed a release form.
Tag Archives: lawsuit
Rock Bottom: Wrestlers File Concussion Lawsuit
A handful of professional wrestlers have teamed up to take down their competition; except this time, the battle is in the courtroom and not the squared circle. We all know professional wrestling is scripted, but the injuries and physicality involved is very real. Ryan Sakoda, Luther Reigns, and Big Russ McCullough have filed a lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), seeking damages related to injuries sustained in the ring, harsh working conditions and lack of physical care. The wrestlers are claiming that WWE management, under the orders of CEO Vince McMahon, forced wrestlers to put themselves in unsafe environments, partake in dangerous activities, and perform through injuries. Claims go as far to say that some wrestlers were punished, removed from TV/storylines, or publicly embarrassed for attempting to prioritize their own health.
LAPD Officers Settle Discrimination Lawsuit
Recently, a decision has been made about an incident involving two Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers suing the department for discrimination because they are Latino. Officers Allan Corrales and George Diego were awarded near $4 million combined in their discrimination suit against the department. Both officers are Latino and were involved in a fatal shooting in 2010 killing an unarmed, autistic African American man, Eugene Washington.
Protein Powder Ripping Off Athletes
Several companies have been on the receiving end of lawsuits claiming lack of protein in their supplements. A large number of the companies in this $7 billion industry are being accused of selling products with less protein content than what they advertise on the label. “Arnold Schwarzenegger Series Iron Mass, for instance, contains half the protein stated on its label, according to third party testing in one lawsuit”. FDA regulations require that content labels on all dietary supplements be accurate and not misleading to the consumers. In this case the expectation is that protein content be evaluated based on actual protein sources, not fillers such as amino acids.
D’oh! Simpsons Settle with Hologram Company
The Simpsons are going to court! Well, they were planning on it, until reaching a settlement. 20th Century Fox recently came to an out-of-court settlement with a special effects company over a 2-minute hologram of the popular cartoon character, Homer Simpson. Appearing at Comic-Con, an entertainment-themed convention in California, Homer’s hologram told several jokes and interacted with Simpsons’ creator Matt Groening, much to the amusement of everyone other than Hologram USA. The company claims that they have an exclusive patent to the technology behind the hologram, and that without their consent or approval, Fox owes them a monetary fee. The groups were able to meet and come to an agreement, although the terms were not immediately disclosed. Read more