SF Site News » Law Suits http://www.sfsite.com/news Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:05:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Ellison Drops Lawsuit http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/30/ellison-drops-lawsuit/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/30/ellison-drops-lawsuit/#comments Thu, 01 Dec 2011 03:05:44 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1758 Harlan Ellison has dropped his lawsuit against Andrew Niccol’s film In Time. Ellison had previously alleged that In Time was based on his short story “Repent Harlequin! Said the Ticktockman,” and there was an erroneous report that the suit was settled. Ellison has now seen the film and decided to voluntarily dismiss the action. Despite earlier reports, including on this site, at no time was Ellison promised payment or screen credit on the film.

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/30/ellison-drops-lawsuit/feed/ 0 In Time Lawsuit Settlement http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/07/in-time-lawsuit-settlement/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/07/in-time-lawsuit-settlement/#comments Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:04:57 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1729 Harlan Ellison’s lawsuit against New Regency and director Andrew Niccol over plagiarism for their film In Time has been settled. Ellison claimed that In Time was based on his 1965 story “Repent, Harlequin! Said The Ticktockman.” Ellison’s original lawsuit asked that all copies of the film be destroyed, its release stopped, and he be paid compensatory damages. The settlement calls for the film’s release to go ahead with an on-screen credit for Ellison.

For more information…

(However, see the first comment to this article).

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/11/07/in-time-lawsuit-settlement/feed/ 2 Author Arrested for Fraud http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/10/07/author-arrested-for-fraud/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/10/07/author-arrested-for-fraud/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 12:47:07 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1693 Author Mitchell Gross, who publishes fantasy under the name Mitchell Graham, has been arrested for fraud. According to federal authorities, Gross bilked women he met on on-line dating sites out of millions of dollars. Under his Graham pseudonym, Gross published the novels The Fifth Ring, The Ancient Legacy, and The Emerald Cavern.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/10/07/author-arrested-for-fraud/feed/ 1 Ellison Sues In Time http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/15/ellison-sues-in-time/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/15/ellison-sues-in-time/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:25:48 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1658 Harlan Ellison has filed a lawsuit claiming that the upcoming FOX film In Time is a copyright infringement of his Hugo and Nebula Award-winning story “‘Repent, Harlequin!’ Said The Ticktockman.” The lawsuit seeks an injunction to prevent the film’s release and the disposal of all copies of the film.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/15/ellison-sues-in-time/feed/ 0 Kramer Arrested http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/14/kramer-arrested/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/14/kramer-arrested/#comments Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:30:59 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1657 Author and Dragon*Con founder Ed Kramer was arrested in Milford, CT and charged him with misdemeanor reckless endangerment of a child after he was found staying in a hotel with a fourteen year old boy. Kramer was in violation of the conditions of his bond from a previous arrest on allegations of child molestation, first made in 2000. Kramer’s bond has been revoked and he faces extradition to Georgia.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/09/14/kramer-arrested/feed/ 0 Rowling Plagiarism Case Dismissed http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/07/19/rowling-plagiarism-case-dismissed/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/07/19/rowling-plagiarism-case-dismissed/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 20:19:52 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1587 The courts dismissed a charge of plagiarism against J.K. Rowling by the estate of Adrian Jacobs after the estate failed to post a £1.5 million security bond. Jacobs’s executor, Paul Allen, first charged Rowling with plagiarizing Jacobs’s book The Adventures of Willy the Wizard in 2004. The court had ordered the estate to post a bond to cover 65% of the costs faced by Rowling and her publisher, Bloomsbury, in case the estate did not prevail. The estate’s inability to post the bond eventually ended the case.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/07/19/rowling-plagiarism-case-dismissed/feed/ 0 Case Dismissed http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/24/case-dismissed/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/24/case-dismissed/#comments Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:22:54 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1543 The case against Joel Rosenberg for felony dangerous weapon at a courthouse and misdemeanor contempt of court stemming from a November 2010 incident has been dropped following Rosenberg’s May 2011 death. A Memorial for Rosenberg and benefit for his family is scheduled to take place in Minneapolis on June 26.

For more information on the Memorial…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/24/case-dismissed/feed/ 0 Ender’s Game Lawsuit http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/02/enders-game-lawsuit/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/02/enders-game-lawsuit/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:54:44 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1508 NIAD Management is suing Orson Scott Card for commissions due from the film and web adaptations of Ender’s Game. When Card signed with NIAD in 2006, the contract specifically noted that they would not receive commissions on the Ender’s Game film optioned by Warner Bros. When the Warners option expired in 2008, the project was shopped to other studios and NIAD claims that the exclusion clause only applies to the project made by Warners, not subsequent projects.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/06/02/enders-game-lawsuit/feed/ 0 Rosenberg Trial Date Set http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/05/04/rosenberg-trial-date-set/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/05/04/rosenberg-trial-date-set/#comments Wed, 04 May 2011 11:02:15 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1445 At a preliminary hearing on May 2, Joel Rosenberg’s trial date for his December 8, 2010 arrest on felony dangerous weapon at a courthouse and misdemeanor contempt of court was set. Rosenberg’s lawyers argued that City Hall is not a courthouse, but merely contained a single room which was used as a courtroom. Rosenberg’s trial will begin on August 8.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/05/04/rosenberg-trial-date-set/feed/ 0 Google Books Settlement Rejected http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/23/google-books-settlement-rejected/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/23/google-books-settlement-rejected/#comments Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:37:18 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1380 Judge Denny Chin has rejected the Google Books Settlement, saying that the search engine’s agreement was too broad and “would arguably give Google control over the search market” for books. The agreement between Google and the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers was dismissed without prejudice, which means that Google and the organizations can revise the agreement and resubmit it in a way that gives better protection to copyright owners.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/23/google-books-settlement-rejected/feed/ 0 Charges in Sohus Murder http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/16/charges-in-sohus-murder/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/16/charges-in-sohus-murder/#comments Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:06:43 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1367 Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter, who has also gone by the names “Clark Rockefeller,” “Christopher Crowe,” and “Christopher Chichester,” has been charged with the 1985 murder of LA fan and LASFS member Jonathan Sohus. Gerhartsreiter, who was using the Chichester name at the time, was a tenant of Sohus and his wife, Linda. Both Jonathan and Linda disappeared in 1985, but only Jonathan’s remains have been found.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/03/16/charges-in-sohus-murder/feed/ 0 Borders Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/02/16/borders-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/02/16/borders-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy/#comments Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:55:29 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1317 Borders Books and Music filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on February 16. It plans to close about 30% of its stores over the next several weeks. The Chapter 11 filing allows Borders to reorganize its operations while it seeks new capital.

For more information… ]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2011/02/16/borders-files-chapter-11-bankruptcy/feed/ 0 Rosenberg Legal Defense Fundraiser http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/23/rosenberg-legal-defense-fundraiser/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/23/rosenberg-legal-defense-fundraiser/#comments Thu, 23 Dec 2010 15:25:42 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1231 A dinner to raise money for the Joel Rosenberg Legal Defense Fund will be held on Sunday, January 2 at 6:30 at the AmericInn Chanhassen in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The dinner is limited to 40 attendees, but donations can be made by those not attending as well. Rosenberg was arrested earlier this month and charged with possession of a dangerous weapon in a courthouse and contempt of court.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/23/rosenberg-legal-defense-fundraiser/feed/ 0 Frazetta Feud Renewed http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/17/frazetta-feud-renewed/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/17/frazetta-feud-renewed/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 12:05:59 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1227 Frank Frazetta, Jr. has filed a lawsuit against his three siblings claiming they violated the terms of the settlement by failing to pay him the 25-percent share of the estate his father intended him to have and failed to provide an accurate accounting of the business dealings involving his father’s art and have not involved him in their decisions as agreed. Shortly before Frank Frazetta’s death, Frank Frazetta, Jr. had broken into his father’s museum with a backhoe as part of a squabble with his father.

For more information…
For earlier Frazetta stories…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/17/frazetta-feud-renewed/feed/ 0 Fantasy Author Arrested http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/08/fantasy-author-arrested/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/08/fantasy-author-arrested/#comments Wed, 08 Dec 2010 22:35:58 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1202 Fantasy author Joel Rosenberg was arrested and charged with felony dangerous weapon at a courthouse and misdemeanor contempt of court on December 8. The charges stem from an incident on November 5 when Rosenberg visited the courthouse to make a request for documents. Minneapolis Sgt. William Palmer noticed Rosenberg was armed and tried to disarm him.

For more information…
And news from Joel Rosenberg’s site

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/08/fantasy-author-arrested/feed/ 3 Bears Battle Gutenberg Over Anderson http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/03/bears-battle-gutenberg-over-anderson/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/03/bears-battle-gutenberg-over-anderson/#comments Fri, 03 Dec 2010 18:35:38 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1197 Greg and Astrid Bear and Karen Anderson have accused Project Gutenberg of posting stories written by Poul Anderson in violation of copyright. Project Gutenberg claims the stories, originally published in the 1940s and 1950s, are in public domain. The Bears and Anderson state that the copyrights are current and belong to their family. Karen Anderson is Poul Anderson’s widow, Astrid and Greg Bear are Anderson’s daughter and son-in-law.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/12/03/bears-battle-gutenberg-over-anderson/feed/ 0 Actor Found Guilty http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/09/17/actor-found-guilty/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/09/17/actor-found-guilty/#comments Fri, 17 Sep 2010 15:38:13 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=1064 Actor Shelley Malil has been found guilty of attempted murder after stabbing his girlfriend more than twenty times during a quarrel in 2008. He was acquitted of an additional charge of residential burglary. Malil faces up to 16 years in prison. Best known for his role in The 40 Year Old Virgin, Malil’s genre credits include episodes of The Adventures of Briscoe County, Jr., Good vs. Evil, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and the film My Favorite Martian.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/09/17/actor-found-guilty/feed/ 0 Charges in Perry Death http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/07/10/charges-in-perry-death/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/07/10/charges-in-perry-death/#comments Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:14:02 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=965 Zephyrhills police have filed murder charges against James William Davis for killing former Thundercats writer Steve Perry. Perry had disappeared in mid-May, and his dismembered body was found later in the month. Davis and his wife Roxanne, who had been Perry’s roommates, were arrested on drug charges and named persons of interest in Perry’s disappearance and, later, murder. Roxanne has not been charged with Perry’s murder, but police have not yet ruled out her involvement.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/07/10/charges-in-perry-death/feed/ 0 Watts Sentencing http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/27/watts-sentencing/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/27/watts-sentencing/#comments Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:24:24 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=880 Canadian science fiction author Peter Watts, who was found guilty of refusing to comply with multiple orders during a random inspection at the Blue Water Bridge, was sentenced on April 26 to a 60 day suspended jail sentence and payment of $1,628 in court fees and fines. Watts’s sentence was much more lenient than the sentencing recommendations called for.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/27/watts-sentencing/feed/ 0 Frazetta Feud Resolved http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/24/frazetta-feud-resolved/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/24/frazetta-feud-resolved/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:10:18 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=879 Frank Frazetta has agreed to drop trademark infringement charges against his son, Alfonso Frank Frazetta, Jr. The suit alleged that the younger Frazetta had appropriated the Frazetta trademark and artwork without older Frazetta’s permission. According to a statement made by the family, “all the litigation surrounding his family and his art has been resolved. All of Frank’s children will now be working together as a team to promote his remarkable collection of images that has inspired people for decades.”

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/04/24/frazetta-feud-resolved/feed/ 0 Watts Found Guilty http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/19/watts-found-guilty/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/19/watts-found-guilty/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:09:08 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=825 Canadian SF author Peter Watts has been found guilty of assaulting resisting and obstructing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. The charges stem from an incident when Watts was stopped at the Blue Water Bridge on Dec. 8 and was beaten and pepper sprayed. The jury began deliberating on March 18 and returned a verdict on the morning of March 19. Watts faces up to two years in prison when he is sentenced on April 26.

Updated to correct charge. The Times-Herald reporter misrepresented the verdict.

For more information…
For Peter Watts’s clarifications…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/19/watts-found-guilty/feed/ 0 Watts Trial Begins http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/17/watts-trial-begins/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/17/watts-trial-begins/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:44:07 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=819 Peter Watts’s trial on charges of resisting arrest stemming from a December incident in which he was beaten and pepper-sprayed, began on March 16. Following opening statements, the prosecution called the first of its four witnesses.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/03/17/watts-trial-begins/feed/ 0 Google Book Settlement Workshop http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/12/google-book-settlement-worksho/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/12/google-book-settlement-worksho/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:56:41 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=739 On January 20, from 2-4:30, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, ASJA, the National Writers Union, NWU, and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America are sponsoring a workshop to examine what the Google Book Settlement means to authors. James Grimmelmann and Lynn Chu are both scheduled to speak, and additional speakers will be announced. The event is scheduled to take place at the New York NWU office, 256 w. 38th St., 12th floor, between 7th and 8th. Attendees should RSVP by calling 212-997-0947 or sending an e-mail to asjaoffice AT asja.org. (Put “Google settlement” in the subject line)

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/12/google-book-settlement-worksho/feed/ 0 Dick’s Daughter Sues Google http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/08/dicks-daughter-sues-google/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/08/dicks-daughter-sues-google/#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:24:37 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=734 Isa Dick hackett, the daughter of SF author Philip K. Dick, is suing Google, claiming that some of the Nexus One’s features use names taken from her father’s books.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2010/01/08/dicks-daughter-sues-google/feed/ 0 Watts Bound Over http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/23/watts-bound-over/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/23/watts-bound-over/#comments Wed, 23 Dec 2009 17:25:05 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=712 Following a preliminary examination on December 22, District Court Judge John Monaghan declared Canadian science fiction author Peter Watts should be bound over for trial on charges of assault and resisting arrest. If convicted, Watts faces up to two years in jail and a $2,000 fine.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/23/watts-bound-over/feed/ 0 Peter Watts in Border Dispute http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/11/peter-watts-in-border-dispute/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/11/peter-watts-in-border-dispute/#comments Fri, 11 Dec 2009 17:18:02 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=696 Science fiction author Peter Watts was stopped by US border guards on his way home to Canada on December 8 and beaten and pepper-sprayed before being arrested. Watts faces a felony rap for assaulting a federal officer, which can carry a two year prison sentence and a lifetime ban from the United States. A legal defense fund has been set up to aid Watts in his defense.

Watts’s account…
For more information…
To donate…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/12/11/peter-watts-in-border-dispute/feed/ 1 Senter Pleads Guilty http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/11/10/senter-pleads-guilty/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/11/10/senter-pleads-guilty/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:20:57 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=655 Shane Senter has pled guilty to four counts of the indictment against him. When sentencing occurs later this month, he is expected to receive 5 years probation, not be allowed to own, operate, manage or control a business where he takes payments/deposits up front, and be ordered to pay restitution.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/11/10/senter-pleads-guilty/feed/ 0 Lord of the Rings Settlement http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/09/10/lord-of-the-rings-settlement/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/09/10/lord-of-the-rings-settlement/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:14:30 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=587 New Line Cinema has reached an undisclosed agreement with the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien and HarperCollins Books over royalties from The Lord of the Rings films. The estate alleged that they had not seen a single penny from the successful movie franchise and the dispute was threatening production of the two-film version of The Hobbit, scheduled to begin filming in 2010.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/09/10/lord-of-the-rings-settlement/feed/ 0 Another Harry Potter Plagiarism Suit http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/16/another-harry-potter-plagiarism-suit/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/16/another-harry-potter-plagiarism-suit/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:06:55 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=462 The estate of author Adrian Jacobs is suing J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury for plagiarism, claiming that “substantial parts” of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire were copied from Jacobs’s 1987 novel The Adventures of Willy the Wizard — No 1 Livid Land. Bloomsbury has responded saying “The allegations of plagiarism made today, Monday 15 June 2009, by the Estate of Adrian Jacobs are unfounded, unsubstantiated and untrue.” Jacobs died penniless in 1997 and his estate previously made the plagiarism claim in 2004. According to Bloomsbury, in 2004, “The claim was unable to identify any text in the Harry Potter books which was said to copy Willy the Wizard.”

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/16/another-harry-potter-plagiarism-suit/feed/ 0 “Rockefeller” Guilty Verdict http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/14/guilty-verdict/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/14/guilty-verdict/#comments Sun, 14 Jun 2009 12:14:49 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=455 “Clark Rockefeller” (a.k.a. Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter and Christopher Chichester) has been convicted of kidnapping his daughter. “Rockefeller” is also considered a person of interest in the disappearance of sf fans John and Linda Sohus in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Although evidence concerning the Sohus’s disappearance wasn’t permitted at his kidnapping trial, the investigation into “Rockefeller’s” link to the Sohus’s is continuing.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/06/14/guilty-verdict/feed/ 0 Senter Files Bankruptcy http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/27/senter-files-bankruptcy/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/27/senter-files-bankruptcy/#comments Wed, 27 May 2009 18:14:15 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=430 Shane Senter, currently facing two felony theft charges and four misdemeanor counts of unfair or deceptive business practices relating to his attempts to create Jumpcon, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Senter previously filed for bankruptcy in 2000, but that case was dismissed by the courts. According to the filing, Senter has debts in excess of $8 million, including two small-claims judgments awarded to science fiction fans.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/27/senter-files-bankruptcy/feed/ 0 Norton Lawsuit Concluded http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/11/norton-lawsuit-concluded/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/11/norton-lawsuit-concluded/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 20:38:08 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=415 The Tennessee Supreme Court has refused to hear Victor Horadam’s appeal to a 2008 ruling, settling a lawsuit over the Andre Norton estate rights. Horadam claimed that Norton’s will stipulated that he should receive royalties on all Norton works published following her death. Sue Stewart, Norton’s long-time care giver claimed that the will gave her rights over any posthumous reprints and only gave Horadam rights over works published for the first time after Norton’s death. Horadam won the initial trial, which was reversed upon Stewart’s appeal.

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/05/11/norton-lawsuit-concluded/feed/ 0 JumpCon Indictments http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/27/jumpcon-indictments/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/27/jumpcon-indictments/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:19:51 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=399 Shane Senter, who announced a series of several media conventions called JumpCon, has been indicted on two counts of theft and four counts of unfair or deceptive business practices. Senter had hoped to make JumpCon an event in several different cities, beginning with Boston. The Boston con was cancelled shortly before it was supposed to have been held in 2008 and no JumpCons ever occurred.

For more information…
About JumpCon

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/27/jumpcon-indictments/feed/ 0 Author in Court http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/09/author-in-court/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/09/author-in-court/#comments Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:56:47 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=376 Children’s author Kevin Bath, who publishes the “Castle Cant” series under the name K.P. Bath, has been charged with three felony counts involving child pornography. Bath, who was accused of trading child porn with others in Washington and Ohio, has plead not-guilty. Pending a June 6 trial, he has been barred from contact with children. His publisher, Little, Brown Children’s, has canceled the Fall 2010 publication of his book Flip Side.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/04/09/author-in-court/feed/ 0 Investigation Reopened http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/30/investigation-reopened/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/30/investigation-reopened/#comments Mon, 30 Mar 2009 17:31:27 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=343 In 1985, SF fans Jonathan and Linda Sohus disappeared, as did a young man renting a room from them, Christopher Chichester. With the discovery that Chichester was really Christian Karl Gerhartsreiter (a.k.a. Clark Rockefeller), who is on trial in Boston for kidnapping his daughter last year, the LA County Sheriff’s department has announced that it is reopening the Sohus case. In the late 80s, Gerhartsreiter was ticketed while driving Sohus’s truck and a human skeleton was found in the Sohus’s back yard when a subsequent owner put in a swimming pool.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/30/investigation-reopened/feed/ 0 Suit Against SFWA Volunteers Dismissed http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/26/suit-against-sfwa-volunteers-dismissed/ http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/26/suit-against-sfwa-volunteers-dismissed/#comments Thu, 26 Mar 2009 17:18:12 +0000 Steven H Silver http://www.sfsite.com/news/?p=332 A lawsuit filed by Robert Fletcher against SF authors Ann Crispin and Victoria Strauss claiming defamation, loss of business and emotional distress has been dismissed with prejudice by a Massachusetts judge. Crispin and Strauss were sued in line with their volunteer work for SFWA’s “Writers Beware” site pointing out questionable agencies and business practices. The suit was dismissed because of Fletcher’s failure to respond to discovery or otherwise prosecute the lawsuit. Fletcher and his companies are currently under investigation by the Florida Attorney General’s Office. Crispin and Strauss intend to file suit against Fletcher and his companies in an attempt to recoup legal fees.

For more information…

]]> http://www.sfsite.com/news/2009/03/26/suit-against-sfwa-volunteers-dismissed/feed/ 0