K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup (May 12, 2023)

Sports:

• Another week, more developments from the Diamond Sports Group bankruptcy case:
  • First, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns objected to a motion by the Diamond Sports Group, the bankrupt parent company of Bally Sports, seeking to bar the team’s entry into a new TV rights deal, telling a Texas court the broadcast contract between the parties expired at the end of the Suns’ NBA season last month – NBA’s Suns Says TV Deal With Bankrupt Bally Sports Expired – Law360
  • Then, a Texas bankruptcy judge ruled that the Phoenix Suns violated the automatic stay in the Chapter 11 case of the regional sports network when the Suns and WNBA franchise, Phoenix Mercury, signed a new television broadcast rights deal last month, saying the team needs to honor the backend contractual rights of the debtor – S. bankruptcy judge blocks Phoenix Suns’ new TV deal – ESPN
• After seeing the proposal of an exclusivity period rejected in its offer, a group including actor/investor/owner of newly promoted to English Football League Wrexham AFC Ryan Reynolds has withdrawn from contention in the sale process of the Ottawa Senators – Sources – Ryan Reynolds’ bid for Senators won’t move forward – ESPN
• In PGA v. LIV Litigation:
  • After starting with eleven, the number of golfers challenging the PGA Tour’s decision to blacklist players aligned with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league has continued to dwindle as American pro Peter Uihlein has now withdrawn from the suit in California federal court – Another LIV Golfer Bails On Legal Fight Against PGA Tour – Law360
  • PGA Tour urged the Ninth Circuit to shut down Saudi Arabia’s bid to quash subpoenas of its sovereign wealth fund, arguing that the fund has “misleadingly” framed past cases to get the orders thrown out – PGA Slams Saudi Fund For ‘Misleadingly’ Fighting Subpoenas – Law360
• The Zion Williamson sports agent case continues to roll on as the sports agent trying to enforce the agreement entered before Zion turned professional doubled down on her Fourth Circuit argument that she should be able to show evidence that Zion, now in the NBA, was ineligible to play college basketball for Duke when he signed a contract with her that was later voided by a lower court – Deal With NBA Player Wrongly Voided, Agent Tells 4th Circ. – Law360
• The NCAA has asked an Indiana federal judge to exclude the testimony of an expert for former HBCU athletes suing for racial discrimination, calling his analysis of the racial disparities in the NCAA’s Academic Performance Program “inapplicable and irrelevant,” and adding that the athletes should be denied class certification on that basis – NCAA Wants Expert Tossed From Ex-HBCU Athlete Lawsuit – Law360

Entertainment:

• President Joe Biden nominated Paramount Global executive Deborah Robinson to be the nation’s next intellectual property enforcement coordinator, aiming to fill a post that has been vacant for more than two years and drawing praise from Hollywood, software and publishing groups – President Biden Announces Key Nominees | The White House
• A federal judge rejected Activision Blizzard’s bid for sanctions on California’s civil rights agency for what Activision called improper efforts by the agency to interfere with the company’s $18 million sex bias settlement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) with the judge saying the state enforcer isn’t bound by the deal with the EEOC – Activision Can’t Get Calif. Civil Rights Watchdog Sanctioned – Law360
• Rapper T.I. seeks $100 million from toy company MGA Entertainment over a popular line of dolls that allegedly copied the name and look of a pop group he oversaw, the dispute restarted following a mistrial in the initial proceedings after jurors heard barred testimony – T.I., Tiny Lawsuit Against Doll Maker Restarts After Mistrial – Rolling Stone
• Late racing icon Carroll Shelby’s licensing company told a California federal judge in written closing arguments of a bench trial that a producer behind “Gone in 60 Seconds” did not come “remotely close” to proving the licensing company breached a settlement over intellectual property rights to the 2000 film’s Ford Mustang “Eleanor” car – Shelby’s Co. Says ’60 Seconds’ IP Bench Trial No Photo Finish – Law360
• Major League Wrestling Media urged a California federal judge to allow its antitrust lawsuit against World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (WWE) to proceed, arguing that WWE operates in an identifiable market and goes to great lengths to ensure media companies air only WWE programming – WWE Rival Company Fights To Keep Antitrust Suit Alive – Law360
• A music label has urged the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a lower court ruling that held an artist is not time-barred from recovering additional damages in a copyright suit over recorded songs, arguing that federal copyright law prevents retrospective relief for acts that occurred over three years before a suit is initiated – Music Co. Seeks Justices’ Take On Time Limit For IP Damages – Law360
• Peloton Interactive Inc. said it has agreed to pay a Dish Network subsidiary $75 million in order to settle a dispute over a patent license, a month after the U.S. International Trade Commission voted to ban its workout device imports – Peloton pays $75 million to settle lawsuit with Dish Network, ending risk of import ban on Peloton devices – Peloton Buddy (pelobuddy.com)
• The family of late guitarist Mick Ronson — who played with David Bowie during his Ziggy Stardust period in the 1970s — sued a Connecticut instrument store for a declaration that it no longer has the right to sell an electric guitar inspired by Ronson’s – Late Rocker’s Family Sues Conn. Guitar Store In Contract Row – Law360