Skip to main content

Fox hit with $179m (including $128m in punitive damages) judgment over shady bookkeeping on "Bones"

Fox has been ordered to pay $179m to profit participants on the longrunning TV show Bones; the judgment includes $128m in punitive damages because the aribitrator that heard the case found that Fox had concealed the show's true earnings and its execs had lied under oath to keep the profit participants from getting their share of the take.

The arbitrator singled out Fox execs Dana Walden, Gary Newman and Peter Rice for "giving false testimony to conceal their wrongful acts."

The suit turned on Fox's "self-dealing," whereby one division would make a program and sell it to another division at well below market rates, then claim that the show hadn't earned very much money, thus denying payouts to those with a share of the profits: the show's stars, the author of the novels the show was adapted from, and the show's exec producer.

Fox has vowed to appeal.

Two of the Fox execs singled out by the arbitrator are set to move into executive roles at Disney after the Disney acquisition of Fox is complete. Disney CEO Bob Iger gave a statement in their defense.

Liguori headed Fox at the time the series debuted in 2005. In 2009, he wrote a memo that may have outlined Fox’s efforts to avoid self-dealing liability as Fox considered giving “Bones” a three-season renewal in 2009. Quotations from what is described as the “Legal Action Plan” memo are heavily redacted in the arbitration filing. Liguori left his post as chairman of Fox Broadcasting in 2009, amid a shakeup in the TV division.

Lichtman also held that Fox executives were deceptive in testifying about the process of determining a license fee for “Bones.”

“The testimony of both Mr. Newman and Ms. Walden regarding ‘marketplace information’ is not only troubling but extremely disconcerting,” the arbitrator states. “The more these individuals testified the more incredulous their testimony appeared.”

Fox Ordered to Pay $179 Million to ‘Bones’ Profit Participants [Gene Maddaus/Variety]

from Boing Boing https://ift.tt/2NBudUE
via IFTTT

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Instagram accidentally reinstated Pornhub’s banned account

After years of on-and-off temporary suspensions, Instagram permanently banned Pornhub’s account in September. Then, for a short period of time this weekend, the account was reinstated. By Tuesday, it was permanently banned again. “This was done in error,” an Instagram spokesperson told TechCrunch. “As we’ve said previously, we permanently disabled this Instagram account for repeatedly violating our policies.” Instagram’s content guidelines prohibit  nudity and sexual solicitation . A Pornhub spokesperson told TechCrunch, though, that they believe the adult streaming platform’s account did not violate any guidelines. Instagram has not commented on the exact reasoning for the ban, or which policies the account violated. It’s worrying from a moderation perspective if a permanently banned Instagram account can accidentally get switched back on. Pornhub told TechCrunch that its account even received a notice from Instagram, stating that its ban had been a mistake (that message itse...

California Gov. Newsom vetoes bill SB 1047 that aims to prevent AI disasters

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed bill SB 1047, which aims to prevent bad actors from using AI to cause "critical harm" to humans. The California state assembly passed the legislation by a margin of 41-9 on August 28, but several organizations including the Chamber of Commerce had urged Newsom to veto the bill . In his veto message on Sept. 29, Newsom said the bill is "well-intentioned" but "does not take into account whether an Al system is deployed in high-risk environments, involves critical decision-making or the use of sensitive data. Instead, the bill applies stringent standards to even the most basic functions - so long as a large system deploys it."  SB 1047 would have made the developers of AI models liable for adopting safety protocols that would stop catastrophic uses of their technology. That includes preventive measures such as testing and outside risk assessment, as well as an "emergency stop" that would completely shut down...

If only your bike had a trunk. Oh wait, now it does.

Just to let you know, if you buy something featured here, Mashable might earn an affiliate commission. Biking is one of the best ways to get around, especially if you live in a city. It's quick, it's eco-friendly, and you get a bit of exercise.  If you already commute on two wheels or are thinking of starting, there's a storage device you kinda need. SEE ALSO: This bamboo keyboard combo adds a touch of tranquility to your workspace The Buca Boot is a pretty magical two-in-one hybrid: It’s a super secure storage box for your bike that works like the trunk of a car. You can lock your helmet or whatever else in it and leave it safely behind. It’s also a basket—open it up, and you can carry a bouquet of flowers and a baguette like the picturesque cyclist of your dreams.    Read more... More about Storage , Car , Bicycle , Trunk , and Cyclist from Mashable http://ift.tt/2eHNwLB via IFTTT