Paramount Global has filed a $50 million-plus countersuit against Warner Bros Discovery over streaming rights to the long-running cartoon satire, South Park. This is in response to Warner Bros Discovery's $200 million lawsuit against Paramount Global over the same issue. The countersuit seeks to recover unpaid license fees and a declaratory judgment confirming the parties' rights and obligations under the Term Sheet. The legal battle has become increasingly heated, with both sides making strong accusations against each other. This legal dispute is significant as it could impact the launch of Warner Bros Discovery's revamped Max streaming service next month. Expect to see lawyers making a lot of money as this legal battle continues.
Demetrious Polychron, a Lord of the Rings fan fiction writer, is suing the Tolkien Estate and Amazon for $250 million in copyright infringement, claiming that The Rings of Power show infringes on his work, The Fellowship of the King. Polychron claims his work is "inspired by Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien" but is a "wholly original book and concept." He has attempted to work with the Tolkien Estate professionally but was rebuffed, so he delivered a copyrighted copy to Simon Tolkien's home. The lawsuit points out similarities between the two works, but some of Polychron's claims, such as one of his characters having the same name as a character in Rings of Power, are contested.
