Judge Rules in Favor of Family Guy

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Animation, Comedy, Prime Time, FOX, Family Guy, Gossip,

FOX’s animated Family Guy is not guilty of copyright infringement, per court ruling, for a song parody featured in one of the episodes.

The episode offered up a new version of Disney’s “When You Wish Upon a Star,” which subsequently launched a lawsuit from the major corporation in 2007. The ditty originally appeared in the 1940 flick Pinocchio. The Family Guy version, “I Need a Jew,” was perhaps a little less family-friendly…but it wasn’t illegal.

Despite the content of the song - “anti-Semitic lyrics” - a U.S. District Judge ruled that the lyrics of the song and tone of the piece was “strikingly different” from the original version. Since winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song after its film debut, “When You Wish Upon a Star” has been recorded by more than one hundred subsequent recording artists and orchestras.

Read More | MSNBC

A Thumbless Ebert & Roeper?

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Syndication,

For nearly 30 years, Roger Ebert has been sealing his movie reviews with a signature Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down.  Unfortunately, potentially-heated contract negotiations between Ebert and his distribution company have forced (temporary?) changes to the Ebert & Roeper program.  Now both sides are pointing fingers at those allegedly responsible for pulling the digits.

Viewers of the most recent episode may have noticed a slight change in the program.  No thumbs!  Richard Roeper and his guest co-host made their opinions on such movies as The Nanny Diaries and Resurrecting the Champ as clear as possible without a ‘pointed’ summary.  (For the record—they disliked

films).

Disney-ABC Domestic Television claims the renowned critic put the copyrighted move on hold during negotiations (Ebert and the estate of the late Gene Siskel hold the rights to the critiquing method).  But through a statement posted on his website, Roger denies making that request.  In addition, he says that Disney (as of 8/24) had not gotten back to him after what he feels was an ‘offensively low’ offer.

As most you already know, health problems have kept Roger Ebert from fronting an episode of the show for over a year.  But he has been contributing in other ways and still posts through his own site.  I just pray that the distribution company isn’t trying to take advantage of his current status during their contract talks.  But then again—they wouldn’t do something like that, would they??

Read More | RogerEbert.com