From: "Film.News.Now" <film.news.now@gmail.com>
Subject: Yoko Ono Lawsuit Expelled!
To: ****************
Date: Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:03:21
Yoko Ono Lawsuit Expelled!: Judge Rules in Favor of Expelled Producers;
Film To Be Re-Released In Theaters This Summer
July 17, 2008 - (Studio City, CA) - The producers of the controversial
film, Expelled, are celebrating their first legal victory in the
lawsuit brought against them by Yoko Ono, for including John Lennon's song
Imagine in their documentary. Last month, a federal court in Manhattan
denied Ono's request for an injunction against the film that would have
forced it out of theaters nationwide. The producers are celebrating
this victory by announcing that the film will be re-released theatrically
this summer across the United States.
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, a documentary exploring one of the
nation's most contentious and longest running battles, the argument over
where and how life began, starring author/actor/economist Ben Stein
debuted at #10 at the box office but saw its theatrical run marred by the
Ono lawsuit.
"We had many individuals and groups who had planned to see the film,
but decided not to because the cloud of doubt this lawsuit brought to the
film," noted one of the film's producers John Sullivan. "We came out
of the gate with strong momentum only to have our integrity questioned
by this frivolous lawsuit. While we're thrilled with the film's having
earned nearly $8 million dollars during its first run, we've heard from
enough people and groups who want to see it in their theaters that
we've agreed to re-release it-this time without an undeserved cloud over
its head."
Shortly after the film's release, Ono filed a suit against the film's
producers, Premise Media, seeking damages for alleged copyright
infringement because the song had not been licensed for use in the film. On May
19, 2008 the parties agreed to a voluntary temporary restraining order
while they awaited Manhattan U.S. District Court Judge Sydney H.
Stein's ruling on Ono's motion to enjoin the showing and distribution of the
film. The restraining order prevented the producers from making
additional copies of the film for distribution. However, on June 2 Stein
denied the injunction and noted that Premise Media was likely to succeed
on its fair use defense. In his decision Stein wrote, "the doctrine
provides that the fair use of copyrighted work for purposes of criticism
and commentary is not an infringement of copyright."
"I'm not related to Judge Stein in any way," noted Expelled's star Ben
Stein, "but we are related in this sense: we are both fans of the first
amendment and I am grateful that the legal system set aside this
attempt to shut our film up. We will not be silenced. In fact it will have
the opposite effect: we will re-release it and allow millions of
Americans to go to the box office and register their vote against Ms. Ono and
her attempt to keep them from watching our film."
The court ruling prevents Ono from interfering with the national
re-release of the film this summer and the company has come up with an
ambitious plan to make the film available to any group which would like to
bring the film to a local theater. Working in conjunction with the film's
distributor Rocky Mountain Pictures, Expelled will be made available
to any group of 250-300 people at a cost of low as $6 per ticket.
"We have 1,000 prints ready to be shipped out to any group that would
like to bring the movie to their local theater," noted Premise's
EVP-Sales Tripp Thornton.
For more information or to schedule a screening please contact: Premise
Media at (678) 546-5580 or email:
Tripp@premisemedia.com
For media inquiries or to schedule an interview please contact:
laurakobbs@gmail.com.
For more information please go to:
http://mm.ninjitsuhosting.com/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=17602&qid=200557
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