Celebrities

Is Reese Witherspoon’s name entitled to trademark protection? Judge weighs claims in actress’ suit

A Los Angeles judge considering a trademark suit by actress Reese Witherspoon has released a tentative opinion rejecting her claims against a company using her name to market jewelry. Judge Gerald Rosenberg of Los Angeles superior court said Witherspoon’s name “is not a protectable slogan,” according to the Hollywood Reporter.…

Nov 25, 2015 8:35 AM CST

Gloria Allred sues venue that barred her from Bill Cosby performance

A lawyer representing women who allege sexual assault by Bill Cosby filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against the government operators of an Atlanta venue that barred her from a Bill Cosby performance. Los Angeles lawyer Gloria Allred says the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre barred her from a May 2…

Nov 19, 2015 7:35 AM CST

Taylor Swift shakes off copyright suit; judge invokes her lyrics in opinion

A federal magistrate judge in California used Taylor Swift’s lyrics to dismiss a pro se lawsuit filed by a songwriter who claimed the song “Shake It Off” infringed the copyright for his own song “Haters Gone Hate.” In a Nov. 10 order, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gail Standish of Los Angeles…

Nov 13, 2015 8:11 AM CST

Judge orders Bill Cosby and his ex-lawyer to submit to deposition in suit over rape denial

A Los Angeles judge on Monday ordered Bill Cosby and his former lawyer to submit to a deposition in a defamation lawsuit filed by model Janice Dickinson. Judge Debre Katz Weintraub’s deposition ruling allows the lawyer, Martin Singer, and Cosby to refuse to answer some questions due to attorney-client privilege,…

Nov 3, 2015 9:39 AM CST

Fred Thompson, lawyer, former lawmaker and actor on ‘Law & Order,’ is dead at 73

Fred Thompson, who grew up in small-town Tennessee and went on to make his mark as a lawyer, a lawmaker and a film and television actor, died Sunday of a recurrence of lymphoma, his family said. He was 73 years old. Thompson was known for his commanding presence and folksy…

Nov 2, 2015 8:00 AM CST

Our hamster toy looks nothing like Fox News anchor, says Hasbro in response to lawsuit

A hamster toy manufactured by Hasbro Inc. shares a Fox News anchorwoman’s name. But it looks nothing like Harris Faulkner, the award-winning anchor of Fox Report Weekend, and hence her lawsuit against the toymaker must fail, the company argues in a motion to dismiss (PDF) filed last week. Citing the…

Nov 2, 2015 7:05 AM CST

Judge grants Hulk Hogan’s request to inspect Gawker’s computers

A judge has granted Hulk Hogan and his legal team access to Gawker’s computers, smartphones, and network servers to determine whether Gawker employees purposely leaked confidential information about the former pro wrestler, The Hollywood Reporter reported Thursday. Florida Circuit Judge Pamela Campbell ruled that Hogan and his team could search…

Oct 23, 2015 4:15 PM CDT

Standing issue gives Jay Z win in infringement suit over ‘Big Pimpin’’

A federal judge has ended an infringement trial against Jay Z over his song ‘Big Pimpin’’ with a ruling that the Egyptian plaintiff did not have standing to bring the claim on behalf of his late uncle. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder of Los Angeles ruled for Jay Z and…

Oct 22, 2015 8:01 AM CDT

Bill Cosby replaces his high-profile lawyer with BigLaw firm; were press statements the reason?

Bill Cosby has replaced one of his lawyers in two civil suits against the comedian that allege sexual misconduct and defamation. Lawyer Martin Singer is being replaced with Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, report the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times and the Associated Press. The Los Angeles Times…

Oct 21, 2015 10:33 AM CDT

Airport worker sues Halle Berry and husband for $5M over shoving incident

A viral video seems to show Halle Berry doing nothing but walking through Los Angeles International Airport with her husband and children amidst a barrage of paparazzi camera flashes earlier this year. However, the actress has now been sued for $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages, along with spouse…

Oct 20, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Pistorius to serve remaining sentence for law grad’s slaying on house arrest

Almost exactly one year after he was sentenced to five years in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Oscar Pistorius is about to be allowed to serve the rest of his time on house arrest instead of in prison, starting next week. Law graduate and model Reeva Steenkamp was killed…

Oct 16, 2015 11:20 AM CDT

Donald Trump campaign is once again targeted for song use; is ASCAP license enough?

Donald Trump is once again feeling the wrath of a musician who claims the Republican presidential candidate is using his music without permission. A lawyer for Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler sent Trump a letter Saturday demanding that the candidate stop using Aerosmith’s 1973 hit “Dream On” at campaign events, the…

Oct 13, 2015 11:06 AM CDT

Hillary Clinton’s gun control plan includes both legislation and executive actions

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has taken a strong stand in favor of gun control in the wake of last week’s deadly mass shooting at a college in Oregon. On Monday, Clinton released her plan to curb gun violence on her campaign website, and promised that if she were elected,…

Oct 5, 2015 1:57 PM CDT

Caitlyn Jenner won’t be charged in fatal car crash but faces ongoing civil suit

Although Caitlyn Jenner was driving within the speed limit, she was driving too fast for conditions when she rear-ended another vehicle in February as she was towing a dune buggy behind a SUV, officials say. The accident on California’s Pacific Coast Highway proved fatal to the driver of the rear-ended…

Sep 30, 2015 4:40 PM CDT

Nike must turn over Lance Armstrong emails to feds in $100M post office case, judge rules

Hoping to win a civil fraud lawsuit against Lance Armstrong that could reap as much as $100 million in damages, the U.S. government has been seeking access to emails between the famed cyclist and his now-former corporate sponsor, Nike. Armstrong wants the emails produced, too, because they could help bolster…

Sep 30, 2015 6:15 AM CDT