Blockbuster

1. Ch. 11 May Be Looming For Blockbuster

Tuesday, Mar 16, 2010

Citing about $975 million in debt under senior secured notes, DVD rental chain Blockbuster Inc. said bankruptcy could be in its future if initiatives to generate liquidity prove unsuccessful in the next few months.

2. How Hollywood Manages Its Channels

Monday, Mar 01, 2010

Despite an earlier victory for Redbox Automated Retail LLC against Universal Studios Home Entertainment LLC's motion to dismiss on essentially the same antitrust claim, the Warner Home Video-Redbox settlement suggests Redbox may have feared, quite understandably, that manufacturers and producers are given wide latitude to manage their channels of distribution under current antitrust law, say Jane E. Willis and Daniel J. Bachner of Ropes & Gray LLP.

3. Apple, Google Want Web Patent Suit Moved To Calif.

Thursday, Feb 11, 2010

Apple Inc., Google Inc. and 10 other defendants targeted in Eolas Technologies Inc.’s patent infringement suit over interactive Web site technology are pushing for the case to be moved from Texas to California.

4. Movie Gallery Blasts Fred Meyer Over Locked Stores

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2010

Bankrupt video and DVD rental chain Movie Gallery Inc. is seeking an order holding landlord Fred Meyer Stores Inc. in contempt for changing the locks on six Movie Gallery stores and denying the company access to the premises.

5. CAT Goes On Prowl Again Over Gift Card Patent

Tuesday, Feb 09, 2010

Patent-holding company Card Activation Technologies Inc. has slapped nine retailers — including Macy's Inc., Blockbuster Inc. and Starbucks Corp. — with a lawsuit accusing them of deliberately infringing a patent covering a method for processing debit transactions with a countertop terminal.

6. Court Frees $50M, OKs Advisers In Movie Gallery Ch. 11

Thursday, Feb 04, 2010

A day after filing for Chapter 11 protection, Movie Gallery Inc. has received permission from the bankruptcy court to hire several consulting firms to assist with the proceeding, and to spend nearly $50 million to meet outstanding obligations to employees, shippers and customers.

7. Stiff Competition Pushes Movie Gallery Back To Ch. 11

Wednesday, Feb 03, 2010

Confirming rumors that began swirling last week, video store chain operator Movie Gallery Inc. has filed for Chapter 11 protection for the second time in two years, saying it plans to close nearly 750 stores in the U.S. and Canada.

8. Blockbuster Users Win Bid To Rejoin DVD Rental MDL

Tuesday, Feb 02, 2010

Blockbuster Inc. customers who accused Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Netflix Inc. of colluding in the market for online DVD rentals have won permission to amend their claims and rejoin the litigation.

9. Argosy First to Settle With Eolas In Web Patent Suit

Friday, Jan 29, 2010

Eolas Technologies Inc. has cut a deal with Argosy Publishing Inc. in a patent suit accusing nearly two dozen companies — including PepsiCo. Inc., YouTube LLC, Amazon.com and Blockbuster Inc. — of infringing its interactive Web site technology.

10. Movie Gallery Reportedly Headed Back Into Ch. 11

Thursday, Jan 28, 2010

Less than two years after emerging from bankruptcy protection, Movie Gallery Inc. is reportedly planning a sequel to its first Chapter 11 filing.

11. Competition Firms Of The Year

Friday, Jan 01, 2010

The past year taught all too many lawyers that nothing recedes like success, yet for the top echelon of competition practices 2009 proved a year of plenty, replete with both front-page mergers and major litigation victories.

12. Nutritional Sourcing Can Sell Blockbuster Stores

Monday, Dec 07, 2009

The bankrupt Nutritional Sourcing Corp. has received approval to sell nine of its Blockbuster Video rental outlets and related contracts to BB Entertainment of Puerto Rico LLC for $500,000.

13. Netflix, Blockbuster Win E-Mail Notification Patent Spat

Thursday, Dec 03, 2009

Netflix Inc. and Blockbuster Inc. — the two remaining defendants in a suit brought by Media Queue LLC over a patented method of notifying customers by e-mail about the status of their DVD rental accounts — have won their bid for summary judgment of noninfringement.

14. Blockbuster Users Cut From Online DVD Rental MDL

Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009

The judge overseeing a multidistrict litigation against Netflix Inc. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has thrown out two putative class actions brought by subscribers to Blockbuster Inc.'s online DVD rental service who claimed Blockbuster overcharged them because of an unlawful market allocation deal between the defendants.

15. Q&A With Eckert Seamans' Gregory Weingart

Monday, Nov 16, 2009

As a result of financing challenges, there will be a heavy amount of refinancing activity over the next 12 to 18 months, says Gregory A. Weingart, chairman of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC's corporate practice group.

16. Microsoft Resolves Claims In DRM Technology Suit

Friday, Nov 13, 2009

Microsoft Corp. has cut a deal in Digital Reg of Texas LLC’s suit alleging the software giant and other companies have infringed its patent by making and selling digital content that incorporates Digital Rights Management technology.

17. Costco Case Could Resolve First-Sale Question

Friday, Oct 23, 2009

Costco Wholesale Corp.'s petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear its dispute with Omega SA over whether Costco can sell Omega watches it legally bought outside the U.S. could give the high court a chance to resolve an increasingly important problem in copyright law, attorneys say.

18. Lycos Drops Appeal Of Netflix Noninfringement Ruling

Monday, Oct 19, 2009

One-time search engine giant Lycos Inc. has abandoned its challenge of a noninfringement ruling in favor of Netflix Inc. in a dispute over patents related to technology for collaborative filtering.

19. Eolas Slaps Pepsi, Others With Web Site Patent Suit

Tuesday, Oct 06, 2009

Eolas Technologies Inc. has hit nearly two dozen companies — including PepsiCo. Inc., YouTube LLC, Amazon.com and Blockbuster Inc. — with a patent infringement suit over interactive Web site technology.

20. Blockbuster To Ax Stores Amid $340M Debt Refinance

Tuesday, Sep 15, 2009

Blockbuster Inc. plans to close nearly 1,000 stores and sell $340 million in senior secured promissory notes in a private offering to improve liquidity and pay back outstanding debts, the company has revealed.