Trademark Properties v A&E Headed to Trial

From Peter Hull of the Charleston Post and Courier:

U.S. District Court Judge C. Weston Houck ruled Wednesday that there’s enough evidence to suggest that the two sides made a verbal agreement to equally share profits from the show.

In making the ruling, Houck denied a request by A&E Networks to dismiss the suit brought by Richard C. Davis of James Island-based Trademark Properties.

A&E, which aired the real estate show until last summer, has said it never agreed to share revenue with Davis. He sued A&E last July, alleging that the network took his idea for “Flip This House” and did not pay him and his company their share.

Read the Entire Article

We’ve ordered a copy of the transcript, and will post it as soon as it is available.


9 Comments on “Trademark Properties v A&E Headed to Trial”

  1. Steve in Texas says:

    This was a major blow to A&E getting their motion for summary judgment quashed.

    My guess is it doesn’t go to trial and A&E settles with Trademark, to include a mutually binding permanent injunction and we’ll never know what the amount was.

    I hope I’m wrong though! LOL

  2. Steve in Texas says:

    From the article I see a possible ‘tell’ here to use Poker parlance…

    A&E with a statement, ‘at the end of the day’ (oh, the irony) and Richard Davis with ‘no comment’

    Maybe I’m reading too much into that but I HOPE this goes before jury. DO IT!

  3. curt says:

    Is it? Summary Judgment motions are almost never granted.

    This will settle like 99% of most cases.

    Unless one runaway party plans on spending in excess of the damages to make a point.

  4. Steve in Texas says:

    curt,

    ‘Almost never’ and ‘99%’ are a little extreme ; )

    The ‘court’ would prefer a settlement
    though, no doubt about it.

  5. CJ says:

    OK, I know this is off topic, but why did they change the name of the show from “The Real Deal” to “The Real Estate Pros”?

  6. T.R.B. says:

    CJ,

    I was going to ask the same question. Why the change in name??

    Also, and I don’t mean to be off color here, but is Richard divorced? He constantly speaks of his kids, but NEVER about a wife. Does he date Ginger?

  7. Steve in Texas says:

    Whoa, Nellie! ; )

    Is the Internet weaving its web into America’s court rooms? Not if a district court judge in Charleston has anything to do with it.

    During a hearing last Wednesday in a lawsuit between Trademark Properties and A&E Networks, District Court Judge C. Weston Houck commented on the potential role of a Web site that’s following the case online.

    http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jun/11/flip_this_house_case_spawns_web_worries/

  8. Steve in Texas says:

    In my opinion, Judge Houck clearly
    doesn’t understand the Internet or this site. I followed the Scooter Libby trial, online, at firedoglake.com. And they get upwards of 2M hits a month. If anything, the Judge and the Post just helped drive traffic here on what otherwise is a
    fairly little known website

  9. Steve in Texas says:

    ‘Humble Webmaster’,

    Keep up the good work!


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