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    Judge tosses $128M damages in “Bones” profit dispute

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1640 Views
    In this May 16, 2016 file photo, David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel attend the FOX Networks 2016 Upfront Presentation Party in New York. A judge has overturned a $128 million punitive damages award to the stars and producers of the long-running TV show "Bones" in a dispute over profits. Judge Richard Rico's order Thursday, May 2, 2019, is a victory for the studio, 21st Century Fox. The ruling leaves in place a $50 million award for compensatory damages, interest and attorney fees. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    A judge on Thursday overturned a $128 million punitive damages award to the stars and producers of the long-running Fox TV show "Bones" in a dispute over profits.

    Judge Richard Rico's decision is a victory for the studio, 21st Century Fox, which called it a vindication.

    The ruling leaves in place a $50 million award for compensatory damages, interest and attorney fees.

    David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, the stars of "Bones" from 2005 through 2017, sued Fox in 2015, saying it denied them profits by licensing the show to Fox's TV division and to Hulu for below-market rates. They were joined by executive producer Barry Josephson and author Kathy Reichs, who wrote the novels "Bones" is based on.

    Their lawyer said he will appeal Rico's ruling.

    "Today's decision in no way impacts the arbitrator's findings that our clients are owed more than $50 million for Fox's fraudulent and deceitful accounting. It deals only with the technical issue of whether our clients waived their right to receive punitive damages. As the arbitrator concluded, they did not — and we look forward to showing the Court of Appeal why it should reverse today's ruling," attorney Daniel A. Saunders said in a statement.

    An arbitrator in February ordered 21st Century Fox to pay the punitive damages, saying Fox executives engaged in "intentional fraud and malice." Fox contested the decision in court.

    Tags:21st Century FoxBarry JosephsonBonesDavid BoreanazEmily Deschanel



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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