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Intellectual Property,
Entertainment & Sports

Jan. 17, 2025

Attorneys for Apple and M. Night Shyamalan allege improper tactics as filmmaker Francesca Gregorini claims copyright infringement

Defending against an $81 million copyright lawsuit, attorneys for Apple and M. Night Shyamalan have accused opposing counsel of using inflammatory tactics to prejudice the jury. At issue is whether the Apple TV+ series Servant unlawfully copied essential elements from Francesca Gregorini's 2013 film The Truth About Emanuel.

Attorneys defending Apple Inc. and director M. Night Shyamalan in an $81 million copyright trial accused their opposing counsel of playing mind games with the jury to skew opinion against one of the defendants during opening statements this week.

On Wednesday, Apple and the creators of its 2019 horror series, "Servant," filed a brief that claimed Robins Kaplan LLP partner Patrick M. Arenz incited jury hostility toward Tony Basgallop, the creator of the show, when the att...

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