joho

A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Anybody interested in starting a class action law suit against CBS for the butchering of The Fugitive? I am not a lawyer, but is there one out there who is a fan of this show and is just as upset as anyone over what has happened with the music.

A law suit is important for several reasons. It's not just that consumers were misled when purchasing the dvds. It's that an industry wide PRECEDENT needs to be established in cases like these.

Media companies need to learn that you television programs and films are just as valid an art form as painting and sculpture. You wouldn't remove an image from a Rembrandt because you thought it might violate the rights of the person who posed for him, would you?

It shouldn't matter how many different elements were put together to create an episode of The Fugitive. Once the work is finished it should be able to stand alone as an INDEPENDENT WORK OF ART.

Media companies need to learn that they are in the ART BUSINESS and certain legal tenets should be established giving them guidelines.

For example: it should be established that unless the media company is willing to pay the costs for the use of questionable "rights" that comprised elements of certain works they should NOT HAVE A LEGAL RIGHT to produce or reproduce or distribute those works. Or they should be PROTECTED by a law that allows them to distribute the original work because it stands alone as an INDEPENDENT work of art.

My feeling is that the only way to make a serious change in the media distribution industry is by going to court and establishing ground breaking precedents. This is the only way to protect beloved cultural works such as The Fugitive and other film and television works as we move forward.

MarcoBiscotti

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

I think it would be funny and fitting if in an ironic twist of fate the studio were sued by the Rugolo estate for copyright infringement on the new cues they attempted reproduce from his scores. You cannot sue a company for something like this however, it's their property and they can ruin it in anyways they like.

TravisR

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Exactly. Plus, the packaging says that the music may be changed so there's no chance at a successful lawsuit for this.

Carabimero

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

joho, what CBS/Paramount did, however misguided, was motivated (uneedlessly in my opinion) by the desire to avoid the very thing you advocate--a lawsuit. Would that we could sue them for this--that possibility might have compeled them to include the underscore needlessly removed!

But I like your spirit!

Michael Reuben

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Thank you both for illustrating a point I've often tried to make -- namely, that the glut of frivolous lawsuits isn't entirely the fault of lawyers. It also results from non-lawyers who somehow think that anything can be solved by a court case.

I'm an attorney and a Fugitive fan. The principle you're trying to argue here is known as "droit morale", and U.S. law doesn't recognize it. Even if it did, the person who has the right to make the claim is the artist, not the public. The Monty Python members once tried to use it to stop ABC from airing edited episodes of their series. The judge was a Python fan, but they still lost.

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Carabimero

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

My humor was certainly not intended to advocate frivolous lawsuits and if my post gave that impression, I'd like to clarify it.

Steve...O

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Carab, I don't think your post implied that; I know what you were saying.

Agree that a lawsuit is not warranted or justified here. In my opinion, the better route to go is to publicize these edits and for consumers to voice their displeasure via written letters.

By the way, I've seen references in this thread and others to the "Rugolo Estate"....Mr. Rugolo is still alive. He may be elderly (past 90) but let's not prematurely bury him.

Elena S

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

I'd rather see a class action lawsuit filed against the recording industry for setting such outrageous fees for song clearance that studios cannot make a profit if they include the original music on their DVDs, thereby causing a bastardization of releases. This is the kind of lawsuit the public should file.

Michael Reuben

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Of course, this has nothing to do with the problems afflicting The Fugitive.

And the public would have a right to file such a lawsuit because . . . ?

(Thanks for continuing to illustrate my point about the litigiousness of non-lawyers.)

M.

"Most people never have to face the fact that, at the right time and the right place, they're capable of anything." -- Chinatown

"What kind of movies would there be if everyone in them had to do what we thought they should do?" -- Roger Ebert

HTF Beginner's Primer and FAQ

Douglas Monce

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Reuben Of course, this has nothing to do with the problems afflicting The Fugitive.

Michael, I'm not up to speed on this one. What exactly are the problems with the music in The Fugitive?

Doug

Edit: Never mind I found the Fugitive thread. Thanks.

"I'm in great shape, for the shape I'm in."
Bob Hope in The Ghostbreakers

Carabimero

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

Never mind.

Mark Talmadge

Re: A "The Fugitive DVD" Law Suit Plea

What are you going to sue them for? Because they didn't include the original music? SO what? The only thing you might be able to do is get back your original purchase price ...

There's no way that a lawsuit of this kind would even have enough merit to even make it into the courtroom. Any attorney would just laugh at you for wanting to go forward with this ...