K&C Sports & Entertainment Law Weekly Roundup - October 2025

Sports:

• Michael Jordan stood on the steps outside a federal courthouse and acknowledged he was willing to settle an antitrust suit against NASCAR. The judge hearing the case months ago admonished both sides to come to a resolution. The biggest names in NASCAR — Roger Penske, Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Richard Childress — have called for a settlement. NASCAR teams urge settlement as trial looms for Michael Jordan’s antitrust suit against series – AP
• A judge for the New York Supreme Court on Monday ruled that Nassau County‘s ban prohibiting transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports at county-run spaces is legal. New York judge upholds county ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports – Washington Examiner

MLB

• The U.S. Supreme Court refused a request on Monday to review baseball’s century-old exemption from antitrust law in a case from players accusing Major League Baseball and its teams of colluding to pay minor leaguers “poverty level” wages. Baseball’s Antitrust Exemption Escapes High Court Review – Law360

NFL

• The Nevada Supreme Court unanimously denied the NFL’s petition to rehear a recent decision regarding Jon Gruden. Jon Gruden’s legal battle with NFL edges closer to trial after court decision – Fox News

NBA

• The National Basketball Association again escaped a proposed class action suit from a man alleging the sports league violated federal video privacy laws, according to a district court Monday. NBA Defeats Revived Video Data-Sharing Class Action Lawsuit – Bloomberg

Entertainment:

MUSIC

• A CA federal judge has ended a case over child pornography claims brought by a man who was depicted as a naked infant on the cover of Nirvana‘s 1991 album Nevermind, saying he was having “a difficult time understanding” the argument that the image depicted the plaintiff as a sex worker reaching for a dollar. Nirvana’s Nevermind: Spencer Elden loses legal case over baby photo on album cover
• Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Chandler Moore and his company have filed suit against his business manager and several of his alleged “corporate alter egos,” claiming the manager used his position and those entities to enrich himself, misappropriate intellectual property rights and deprive Moore of millions in royalties. Singer Says Ex-Manager’s Forgery Might Cost Him ‘Millions’ – Law360
• Royalty clearinghouse Mechanical Licensing Collective filed a fresh complaint against streaming giant Spotify USA Inc. after it escaped claims earlier this year that accused the streamer of cheating artists out of royalties. Spotify Faces Refreshed Suit Over Royalty Math After Bundle Win
• The 11^th Circuit affirmed a win for a music royalties firm in a case brought against one of the members of the ’90s hip-hip duo Black Sheep for allegedly breaching his contract. 11th Circ. Backs Royalties Firm In Hip-Hop Payouts Dispute – Law360

LAWSUITS OF THE RICH & FAMOUS

• The New York Times sued It Ends With Us director and star Justin Baldoni‘s production company, claiming the company must cover the $150,000 in legal fees and court costs the paper racked up while defending itself in defamation litigation that “had no basis in law or fact.” Justin Baldoni Hit By NY Times For Attorney Fees From Blake Lively Suit
• A WI federal judge dismissed a former nanny’s sexual assault lawsuit against Sandman and American Gods author Neil Gaiman, saying the suit should be heard by a court in New Zealand, where the assaults described in the complaint took place. Neil Gaiman Sexual Assault Lawsuit Dismissed
• A Manhattan federal judge sentenced Sean “Diddy” Combs to 50 months in prison after a jury found him guilty of transporting two former girlfriends for prostitution, citing “massive” evidence of violent attacks the hip-hop icon inflicted over a decade. Diddy Jail Sentence: Four Years in Prison

FILM & TELEVISION

• A Manhattan federal judge has tossed a lawsuit brought by an Indian screenwriter who accused Netflix of ripping off a Bollywood film he wrote and directed to create the first season of Squid Game, saying the two works weren’t substantially similar despite centering on characters competing in deadly games to win prize money. ‘Squid Game’ Doesn’t Rip Off Bollywood Film, Judge Rules – Law360
• Wireless technology company InterDigital Inc. has asked a DE federal judge to dismiss an antitrust suit brought by Disney that claims InterDigital isn’t offering reasonable licenses on patents for streaming video, saying the entertainment giant’s claims were either deficient or time-barred. InterDigital Wants Disney’s Video Tech Antitrust Case Tossed – Law360