I know the Supreme Court doesn't trifle with such considerations, but maybe not give Trump disappointing legal news on a Friday as he considers launching war?

A 5-week trial over Kevin Spacey's departure from "House of Cards" begins today in Santa Monica. Strangely ignored by most reporters, it feature the actor testifying, has $80m (or more) at stake, and tests a novel, impactful issue. Read more here: puck.news/kevin-spacey...

Already a tenth of the way through the year.

I don’t think there’s a news publication more in love with A.I. than Axios. Can’t say it’s really improved, though.

Hollywood studios sat out the TikTok ban fight—and ByteDance ended up divesting its U.S. operations. Now the M.P.A. is up in arms over Seedance. Would their copyright claims carry more weight if ByteDance still had skin in the U.S. game? puck.news/why-wont-hol...

A taste of tonight’s newsletter

Here’s why the culture wars at yesterday’s Netflix-WBD Senate hearing really matter…

The case that could destroy Bad Bunny and influence A.I. puck.news/the-bad-bunn...

I’m sure I’m not alone wondering this.

I think this guy (no relation) is suing because he signed up for nudity and, gosh darn-it, he didn't get it. Pretty crazy class action. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

I discussed the FBI’s recent raid and seizure in the home of a Washington Post reporter… podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Sometime in the next few weeks, Kevin Spacey likely will take the stand in Los Angeles Superior Court and tell jurors that he would have killed himself if he’d had to return for the sixth and final season of House of Cards. puck.news/kevin-spacey...

A few minutes ago, Elon Musk's X filed a big antitrust case against music publishers over licensing demands www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Some Hollywood news I broke in last night’s WIH newsletter. CAA has lost a big secret arbitration over agents that helped launch Range Media. Read details: puck.news/newsletter_c...

An early contender for silliest lawsuit of the year.

New from me: What if the Trump Administration goes REALLY big against Netflix? An unlikely-but-still-conceivable scenario that would redefine how the entire industry operates. puck.news/netflixs-gam...

A look ahead at what I’ll be covering in 2026. puck.news/predicting-t...

🚨 The Nevada Supreme Court has decided that the Rupert Murdoch trust battle was wrongfully closed and kept under seal. A media group has won a petition and now a judge will have to go through hearing transcripts and court docs to determine what really warrants further sealing.

What if a Sora user creates a fantastic Disney character mashup? Can it be licensed to Netflix? Or put on YouTube to train Google’s A.I.? puck.news/disneys-sora...

Speaking of A.I., I can't watch a criminal-themed TV show these days without thinking, "Will that stand up in court if the defendant claims it was deepfaked?" Latest is Netflix' "Beast in Me," turning on a secretly recorded conversation.

This seems very optimistic.

Why Netflix-WBD may have Hollywood talent lawyering up sooner rather than later. See full newsletter here: puck.news/newsletter_c...

Inside one of the strangest white collar trials to hit Hollywood in some time puck.news/did-carl-rin...

Only in 2025 www.nytimes.com/2025/12/09/u...

A lot written about Netflix-WBD and hard to come up with an original take. But think I got something in tonight’s newsletter. puck.news/author/eriq-...

Just in… the first antitrust lawsuit over the proposed Netflix-WBD merger. Injunction sought against Netflix.

🚨Paramount Skydance in letter to David Zaslav: “It has become increasingly clear, through media reporting and otherwise, that WBD appears to have abandoned the semblance and reality of a fair transaction process.”

For all the chatter about D.C., there’s a more combustible front in the bidding for Warner Bros Discovery that deserves attention puck.news/the-zaslav-r...

Click www.levernews.com/wall-street-...

The streaming industry is facing a multibillion dollar problem. It’s spurring a a wave of litigation from Brazil to Germany. And yet, there’s hardly any discussion about it. My latest… puck.news/the-patent-t...

On the A.I. copyright front, news publishers have just beaten back a motion to dismiss. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Why is Michael Jackson’s probate case still open 16 years after his death? And how has it come to include underwriting film reshoots and brokering deals with abuse accusers? I explore… puck.news/why-is-micha...

What do you think he’ll say puck.news/josh-shapiro...

Write me a 200 word horror story about Tom Brady and his cloned dog.

Netflix’s A.I. memo is a little too on the nose. Meryl Streep’s to be specific. Plus: What Irving Azoff told me about UMG’s Udio deal. puck.news/netflix-ai-m...

The government shutdown isn’t bad for everyone. puck.news/can-comcast-...

I learned a lot about the MrBeast empire from this case… puck.news/mrbeasts-emp...

What’s next to in the A.I. copyright wars? Let me take a gander. puck.news/the-next-hol...

I’ll tell you who is having fun with A.I. text-to-audio. Those who work to put stuff on screens at NFL games to get fans hyped.

“A reasonable listener of ‘Not Like Us’ would conclude that Lamar is rapping hyperbolic vituperations.” —Judge Vargas storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Dish, Disney & The $4.99 Lawsuit From Hell puck.news/disney-sues-...

Lots of scoopage in the newsletter tonight including a new and potentially explosive child abuse allegation against Michael Jackson

Here’s a story recommendation. Really interesting one that covers protein bars, antitrust law, and more apple.news/AKsvME2sHSu6...

Under-the-radar, upcoming Hollywood trials: —Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” libel —“Real Housewives” copyright problem —Disney vs fired actor’s “religious” beliefs puck.news/how-inventin...

New pod: Who’s got the leverage in the next battles between Trump, the TV stations and Disney, and why Blue state attorneys general could play a surprising role. With @eriqgardner.bsky.social. Listen! open.spotify.com/episode/2dIV...

While FCC chairman Brendan Carr sucks up the oxygen, there’s another force lurking—a reason, perhaps, to think that Nexstar is making a colossal political miscalculation in the Jimmy Kimmel affair. My latest…. puck.news/brendan-carr...

WSJ moves to dismiss Trump’s defamation lawsuit

Does American technology hegemony depend on Trump conscripting Spider-Man, Taylor Swift songs, and the Paw Patrol? Believe it or not, a former NSA general counsel is making the case the president should invoke the Defense Production Act. puck.news/could-hollyw...

We don’t agree to a Taylor Swift deposition but we’ve reserved October 20 for you

Lisa Cook and Shira Perlmutter. Not the greatest day for Trump’s attempted purges.