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<i><b>Commentary</i> Lessons in Decision on Nash Bridges Actor Services Agreement</b>

By Schuyler M. Moore

The recent decision in Don Johnson Productions Inc. (DJP) v. Rysher Entertainment LLC, 209 Cal.App. 4th 919 (2012), packed a punch on a number of important issues. The background facts date all the way back to 1994, when DJP and Rysher Entertainment LLC entered into a contract whereby DJP agreed to provide the services of actor Don Johnson for the television series Nash Bridges and Rysher agreed to fund production of the series. The contract included detailed accounting provisions setting out the DJP's participation in revenues, but critically, a separate provision in the contract granted DJP a 50% interest in the series copyright, although Rysher retained distribution rights (other than on interactive devices, which weren't worth much in 1994). The contract was extended several times and the final episode of the TV series aired on May 4, 2001.

In 2001, 2929 Entertainment LP purchased Rysher, then in 2006 sold Rysher to Qualia Capital LLC. Some time prior to 2008, Qualia dissolved Rysher.

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