California Court of Appeal Greenlights New Trial In Columbo Net Profits Case

The 1971 agreement between Universal City Studios and creators of the TV series Columbo permitted Universal to be a distributor of Columbo "photoplays." But the contract parties failed to include "just one more thing" when negotiating their 17-page memo deal and two-page rider: a definition of the key term "photoplays."

5 minute read May 01, 2022 at 12:17 AM
By
Stan Soocher
California Court of Appeal Greenlights New Trial In Columbo Net Profits Case

A character trademark of the TV detective Columbo, portrayed by actor Peter Falk, was to unbalance a homicide suspect he had been questioning by seemingly walking out of the room only to turn back to the suspect to ask "just one more thing."

This premium content is locked for LawJournalNewsletters subscribers only

ENJOY UNLIMITED ACCESS TO THE SINGLE SOURCE OF OBJECTIVE LEGAL ANALYSIS, PRACTICAL INSIGHTS, AND NEWS IN LawJournalNewsletters

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts
Subscribe Now

Already have an account? Sign In Now

For enterprise-wide or corporate access, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or call 1-877-256-2473.

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2026 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Continue Reading

Is Your Law Firm’s AI Ready for Answer Engines and Clients?

AI claims are getting more scrutiny and regulators are looking more closely at whether organizations can substantiate what they say their AI does, while courts are beginning to address what happens when AI-generated search summaries get information wrong.

November 01, 2026

When AI Agents Trigger a Crisis, Part 2: Before the Agent Acts

This is the second in a two-part series on AI-driven crises. Part 1 examined communications during an incident while the facts are still developing. Part 2 addresses crisis plans, governance and tabletop exercises before an agent acts on behalf of the business.

November 01, 2026
Centellic Logo

© Copyright 2026 ALM Global, LLC trading as Centellic.

Advertise with Us Customer Support Terms of Service