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WATCHMEN Trial Gets Early January Date

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Source: Hollywood Reporter

The executives over at Warner Bros. may have caught an early break in the ongoing Watchmen battle with 20th Century Fox. Last week, The New York Times reported that the case likely wouldn't be hitting a courtroom until April or June, a time which called into doubt whether Warner Bros. would make their March 6, 2009 debut. The trades are now reporting that U.S. District Court Judge Gary Allen Feess has set a January 6, 2009 trial date.

The judge also told 20th Century Fox to forgo any attempt to get a preliminary injunction against Warners to stop the release of the film because the issues were far too complex to be resolved on an interim basis. Feess told both sides to start building a factual record and start expedited discovery and depositions immediately.

Fox still could ask Feess to permanently enjoin Warners from releasing the film following the discovery phase.

At issue is whether Fox still holds the rights to Watchmen. The studio sued Warners in February for copyright infringement and interference with its contract rights under a 1991 agreement between Fox and Largo Entertainment producer Larry Gordon.

Under that deal, Fox "quitclaimed" its right to the property to Largo, with the understanding that if the production company proceeded with making a big-screen version, then the movie would be distributed by Fox. It later negotiated a "turnaround notice" with Gordon that established a buyout formula for the studio if Gordon wanted to buy out Fox's rights. But, according to Fox, Gordon failed to follow that deal.

Gordon negotiated a quitclaim contract with Warners in 2006, which it claims gave them the rights to the property But Fox contends it retains the rights because of Gordon's failure to buy out the studio's rights. Warners said Fox gave up its rights in 1991.


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Comments/Responses
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hanso • Sep 03, 2008, 05:04am •
Does that mean we won't get any new trailers or anything to do with Watchmen till after the trial or is WB still allowed to throw out promotional material in case they win the suit.
At least the trial is in January, still hope it won't get delayed.

I will boycott you Fox bitches!!!

mike10 • Sep 03, 2008, 07:10am •
Why does this have to be so complicated, just buy Fox out. Plus it looks like Fox should be suing Larry Gordon instead of WB.

I aways hated Fox from when they cancelled Firefly after bouncing it all around the schedule like a "Where's Waldo" game. I just think Fox hates Sci-Fi or Fantasy shows, and they have a higher percentage of cancelling those type of shows than the other networks.

joeybaloney • Sep 03, 2008, 07:28am •
I will not pay any money for any Fox product until I see this movie in the theaters in March. If this gets delayed its bootleg city for all Fox flicks and shows for all time!! Fuck them for not being up front on this when production began. Me hates the dirty business end and that’s all this is and I refuse to reward it. I'll buy a ticket to some flick I could care less about and just walk over to the relevant screen. Fuck Fox in their stupid asses.

Hobbs • Sep 03, 2008, 07:53am •
Surprise Surprise, I told you this movie isn't going to get delayed. Stop worrying...though you do have a good question hanso. I wonder if they can release any more trailers until the trial?

hanso • Sep 03, 2008, 07:56am •
WAT UP Baloney!

joeybaloney • Sep 03, 2008, 08:04am •
What up hanso! Just got back to work after a 5 day weekend.

captm0rgan77 • Sep 03, 2008, 08:05am •
I'm with you joeybaloney. I'll go buy a ticket for a WB movie and jump over to this. To quote a great mind:

"Fuck them in the fucking asses." ~ Jay

It's all about the money mike10. If WB just buys them out than Fox looses all that cash if it's a success. Than there's Blu-Ray distribution rights and such. This crap reminds me of a time when I was in third grade and this rich kid had a toy transformer that he could transform so he thought it was broken. I stepped up and asked him if I could have it. He gave it to me and walked off. Later that day he sees me playing with it and transforming it (cause obviously you need to be a rocket scientist to do that) and he comes running over, grabs the toy, and shoves me to the side. He starts walking away when the teacher comes over and smacks him upside the head (obviously this is back when teachers could actually TEACH students instead of make threats) and takes the toy away from him and gives it back to me. The boy starts sceaming about how it was his first and such. I tell her what happened and she tells the rich kid (word for beautiful fucking word):

"It's not his fault that he's smarter than you to be able to make something out of what you didn't want."

God bless her. But those words ring true here. Dumb ass playground rules. I'm not saying WB is beyond this behavior cause I know they've done the same stupid shit as well. But FOX needs swallow the pride and be able to say that WB did it right and congrats.

joeybaloney • Sep 03, 2008, 08:16am •
The thing is that Fox knew all along that WB knew how to put this transformer together and let them, keeping their traps shut until the product was finished and good to go just so they’ll have more leverage to settle things more in their favor. If Fox had an ethical complaining bone in their body this all would have come to play as soon as WB announced the production. But clearly that’s a big nonexistent “IF”.

J&SBSB is the bomb yo!

joeybaloney • Sep 03, 2008, 08:17am •
We need your school marm judging this lawsuit captm0rgan!!

hanso • Sep 03, 2008, 08:26am •
5 day? Nice.

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