3 Count: Texas Chainsaw Lawsuit
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1: The Texas Chainsaw Copyright Infringement? Bastrop County Business Sued by Film Copyright owner
First off today, Cora Neas at KXAN reports that Vortex Inc, the company that holds the copyright to the film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, has filed a lawsuit against a rural Texas gas station that has made a name for itself as a filming location for the movie itself.
Vortex filed the lawsuit against The Gas Station off State Highway 304, which is operated by Roy and Lisa Rose. The gas station was a filming location for the 1974 film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and, since the film’s release, the station has played host to conventions, meet and greets and other events.
According to the lawsuit, the business also plays host to some 66 items that infringe upon the copyright of the original film. Though the Roses have repeatedly played host to the film’s writers, Toby Hooper and Kim Henke, Vortex claims they did not obtain a license for their theming and events. Vortex claims that they reached out in March 2016, but were strongly rebuffed, setting up this lawsuit.
2: Apple Settles with Tin Pan Alley Heirs, Ending String of Tech Company Lawsuits
Next up today, Blake Brittain at Reuters reports that Apple has settled a lawsuit filed by the heirs of songwriters Harold Arlen, Harry Warren and Ray Henderson, best known for various hits in the Tin Pan Alley music era of the early 1900s.
According to the lawsuit, Apple and other tech companies were selling and distributing unlicensed copies of their songs. The judge in the case recently agreed that Apple could be held liable for recordings available in the iTunes Store, but said that Apple was not a willful infringer, greatly limiting potential damages.
Following that decision, the two sides have managed to reach a settlement, bringing an end to the case. The heirs have also ended similar disputes with Amazon, Microsoft and Google in the past year.
3: ‘Servant’ Plagiarism Trial Against Apple Will Proceed with a Full Jury
Finally today, William Gallagher at AppleInsider reports that a federal judge has ruled against Apple in its attempt to obtain a summary judgment in the ongoing lawsuit over the TV series Servant.
The lawsuit was filed by Francesca Gregorini in early 2020. In her lawsuit, she argues that Servant stole the plot and other elements from her film The Truth About Emmanuel. The case was initially dismissed, but that dismissal was overturned on appeal, sending it back to the lower court.
Now, Apple has been denied another summary judgment, indicating that the case may be heading toward a trial. Apple also attempted to limit discovery in the case, but this too was denied.
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