I've been without my computer for a couple of days while it made a trip to Dell's "depot," which has always sounded to me like some place from a horror movie, so I'm behind on the news. Just came upon this follow-up to an earlier discussion. From today's Post:
The Lawsuit on the Cutting-Room Floor
By Lisa de Moraes
Wednesday, July 9, 2003; Page C07
HOLLYWOOD, July 8
Filmmaker Shelton Lee says he dropped his lawsuit against Viacom because "on reviewing the circumstances concerning" its efforts to rename cable network TNN, "I no longer believe that Viacom deliberately intended to trade on my name when naming Spike TV."
Lee, whose nickname is Spike, had sued the studio, claiming that people would mistake Spike TV for his network and that he did not want to be associated with the channel.
Lee's joint statement with Viacom about the settlement reached on Monday was read today by Spike TV topper Albie Hecht during that network's Q&A session here at Summer TV Press Tour 2003.
Having reached a settlement -- the terms of which Hecht would not discuss -- it seems that Shelton Lee has now become a champion of the First Amendment.
"As an artist and a filmmaker, I feel that protection of freedom of expression is a critical value and I am concerned that my efforts to stop Viacom from using the Spike TV name could have unintended consequence of threatening the First Amendment rights of Viacom and others," Lee added, which brought chuckles from the critics.
"I am pleased to be able to resolve this matter and be able to work with Viacom on new projects," Lee's statement concluded. That was followed by more chortling from the TV critics, one of whom asked Hecht to detail the projects Viacom had had to buy to get Lee off the studio's back. Hecht would say only that they are for Viacom's MTV network. |
