K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup (October 14, 2025)

Sports:

NCAA

• Jacob Manu, a linebacker at the University of Washington, filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA on Wednesday, challenging the association’s “unreasonable restrictions that arbitrarily cut short his ability to compete as a college athlete,” according to the suit acquired by The Seattle Times. Washington Huskies’ Jacob Manu sues NCAA over eligibility rules – Seattle Times
• The NCAA moved Wednesday to relax a long-standing gambling restriction, with Division I adopting a proposal that would allow student-athletes and athletics department staff to wager on professional sports while continuing to ban any betting on college events. The change is not yet final as Divisions II and III are expected to take up the measure later this month, and if they also approve, the new rule will take effect Nov. 1. NCAA approves new gambling rule for college athletes and staff – SI

NBA

• The NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans urged a Michigan federal judge to toss claims it too closely imitated a Detroit-based artist’s work in a backdrop for promotional photos last year, arguing the artist can’t own the “concept” of using deflated basketballs. NBA’s Pelicans Say Social Media Posts Didn’t Copy Artist – Law360

MLB

• The widow of a deceased Cincinnati Reds player who pitched a perfect game in 1988 failed to convince a federal judge that she was wrongly denied benefits from the MLB players’ pension office. Reds Pitcher’s Widow Falls Short in MLB Pension Benefit Lawsuit – Bloomberg

NFL

• A former NFL player is fighting to keep his discrimination lawsuit against the league and his former team alive in Colorado federal court, saying his claims that the NFL and the Denver Broncos punished him for requesting a therapeutic-use exemption for synthetic THC are not preempted by the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Ex-NFL Player Says League Policy Doesn’t Steer THC Suit – Law360

Entertainment:

MUSIC & VIDEO GAMES

• A NY federal judge tossed Drake‘s defamation suit against Universal Music Group over the hip-hop artist’s rival Kendrick Lamar‘s “Not Like Us,” saying the diss track’s lyrics accusing Drake of being a “certified pedophile” are opinion and trash talk, not factual statements that are actionable. Drake’s Defamation Suit Against Universal Music Group Dismissed
• Anthropic PBC failed to escape claims from music publishers that the AI developer knew its users were infringing copyrighted song lyrics through its flagship AI model, Claude. Music publishers fend off Anthropic’s bid to dismiss some AI copyright claims | Reuters
• Epic Games Inc. filed a federal lawsuit accusing a pair of players of using bots to fraudulently earn tens of thousands of dollars by simulating player engagement in games created by the users. Fortnite fans who used 20,000 bots to make money sued by Epic
• Some of the UK’s most famous songwriters, including Elton John, Paul McCartney, and Thom Yorke, are demanding a review of how songwriters are paid through the country’s royalty collection service, questioning the amount of administrative costs. Elton John, Paul McCartney Seek Review of UK Song Royalty Payment System | Company Business News

FILM & TELEVISION

• Warner Bros. Entertainment urged a court to reject the sale of bankrupt Village Roadshow Entertainment Group’s derivative rights, including the Matrix films, to Alcon Media and allow it to purchase them instead. Warner Bros. Challenges Alcon Bid for ‘Matrix’ Studio Rights

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• A FL magistrate judge Thursday sanctioned online personality Milagro “Mobz World” Cooper for deleting thousands of text messages and WhatsApp data after being told to preserve evidence in rapper Megan Thee Stallion‘s defamation and cyberstalking suit against her. Megan Thee Stallion Granted Sanctions in Gramz Defamation…
• Harvey Weinstein‘s legal team said his June sexual assault convictions were tainted by juror misconduct, including physical threats and an unfounded bribery claim, arguing in a motion for a new trial that a judge refused to properly investigate. Weinstein Moves to Vacate New York Conviction Due to Juror Threats