After losing its anti-SLAPP motion, Warner Bros. has appealed in Roadrunner JMTC LLC v. Warner Bros. Television, the lawsuit brought by Michael Crichton’s estate claiming the new series The Pitt is an unauthorized derivative of ER.
In this episode of The Briefing, Weintraub Tobin attorneys Scott Hervey and Tara Sattler discuss:
- The background behind the ER “freeze clause”
- Warner Bros.’ First Amendment arguments under California’s anti-SLAPP statute
- The battle over what “derivative work” really means
- How the trial court handled the Katz declaration
- The broader implications for creative freedom and legacy IP
Watch this episode on YouTube or listen to this podcast episode here.