Man stranded on Disney’s ‘It’s a Small World’ ride wins pain and suffering damages

A disabled man trapped on a ride at Disneyland as music blared overhead has won an $8,000 damages award in federal court. The nightmare for Jose Martinez began the day after Thanksgiving in 2009 when his and his wife’s ride on “It’s a Small World” was coming to an end.…

Mar 27, 2013 6:12 PM CDT

‘Romeo Killer’ back on Lifetime TV weekend lineup after NY appeals court steps in

A New York appeals court has effectively reversed a trial judge’s prior restraint of a true-crime television movie scheduled to air on Saturday about a murder committed by Christopher Porco. In a rule to show cause order (PDF) issued Thursday, the Appellate Division, 3rd Department, stayed an earlier order banning…

Mar 22, 2013 7:42 PM CDT

Lifetime is banned from showing true-crime TV movie ‘Romeo Killer’

In a move blasted as an “unprecedented” free speech disaster in an emergency appeal by Lifetime Television, a New York judge has banned the cable network not only from airing on Saturday but from promoting a true crime television movie about a murder. In a Tuesday ruling, Supreme Court Judge…

Mar 21, 2013 3:42 PM CDT

Artists say ‘Harlem Shake’ sampling done without permission

Surprised to hear themselves on the track of the viral sensation “Harlem Shake,” two music artists are seeking a financial share of the pop chart hit. Hector Delgado, now an evangelical minister in Puerto Rico, and rapper Jayson Musson, say they didn’t give permission for their records to be sampled…

Mar 11, 2013 11:15 AM CDT

Inside the mind of Faulkner estate’s lawsuit-filing watchdog

Mar 1, 2013 10:30 AM CST

James Brown estate settlement overturned by state Supreme Court

The South Carolina Supreme Court has overturned a settlement of the late singer James Brown’s multimillion-dollar estate. In its ruling Wednesday, the court chastised former state attorney general Henry McMaster, who brokered the settlement between Brown’s survivors, for turning a blind eye to the late singer’s wishes, the Associated Press…

Feb 28, 2013 11:09 PM CST

Rock icon Chubby Checker files $500 million suit over raunchy smartphone app

Singer Chubby Checker has filed a trademark infringement suit seeking $500 million in damages from the makers of a smartphone app called “The Chubby Checker,” which claimed an ability to estimate the size of a man’s penis by using his shoe size, the Associated Press reported. The Palm OS app,…

Feb 15, 2013 6:08 PM CST

Should bar regulators use tech tools to search for ethics violations on law firm websites?

Red-light cameras (so to speak) for lawyer websites? At My Shingle, Washington, D.C., solo Carolyn Elefant took note of a new tool by legal document start-up Docracy that tracks updates to websites’ terms of service agreements at more than 900 social media sites. The tool got her thinking. “Docracy’s TOS…

Feb 15, 2013 4:06 PM CST

Lilly Ledbetter’s story to be made into a movie

A movie is in the works about Lilly Ledbetter, the former Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant supervisor who inspired the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, her lawyer told Alabama Live. It has not been cast yet, but it is being produced and directed by Rachel Feldman, whose…

Feb 11, 2013 10:00 PM CST

Lance Armstrong is sued for the return of $12 million in prize money

An insurance company is suing disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for the return of the more than $12 million in prize money it says it paid him for winning the Tour de France. The Dallas-based company, SCA Promotions, says it wants its money back because Armstrong has been stripped of his…

Feb 8, 2013 9:45 PM CST

Steven Tyler’s lawyer mostly beats lawsuit against her brought by his former manager

A lawsuit charging that an attorney for legendary rocker Steven Tyler botched his American Idol deal was mostly dismissed Thursday, the Hollywood Reporter’s Hollywood Esq. reports. The Los Angeles County Superior Court case was brought by Kovac Media Group, the singer’s former management company. According to the article, lawyer Dina…

Feb 1, 2013 9:15 PM CST

It’s Google, but is it art? Museums wonder whether they should open their galleries to digitizing

Feb 1, 2013 9:29 AM CST

Super Bowl banner restrictions must be scaled back, judge rules

A federal judge has ordered New Orleans to reduce the size of a “clean zone” where unauthorized banners, signs and flags are banned during Super Bowl week. U.S. District Judge Kurt Engelhardt issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday in a First Amendment lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union…

Jan 25, 2013 2:13 PM CST

Lance Armstrong faces class action re autobiography

At first, news that cyclist Lance Armstrong had admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions to boost his career and help him win consecutive Tour de France titles was followed by jokes that his books would be moved to public library fiction sections. Now, after his confession last week to…

Jan 24, 2013 4:40 PM CST

Got a 25-cent gambling dispute? A hearing officer stands ready to resolve it

What happens when a gambler thinks he’s won a jackpot and a Nevada casino sees the situation differently? The state Gaming Control Board is one option for resolving the dispute administratively, reports the Las Vegas Sun on its VegasInc blog. For those who aren’t happy with the result, it’s also…

Jan 18, 2013 8:29 PM CST