Brodeur

FACTS

We briefly summarize the facts, and then describe the evidence presented in the moving and opposition papers. We will elaborate on the facts as necessary in our discussion of the legal issues. 1. The Parties and the Movie Plaintiff Paul Brodeur is a well-known author in the environmental field, pointing out health dangers of the use of various electrical devices and other household items. Among his many books is The Zapping of America: Microwaves, Their Deadly Risk, and the Coverup (1977) (hereafter The Zapping of America). Defendants (Atlas Entertainment, Inc.; Annapurna Productions LLC, doing business as Annapurna Pictures; and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.) are producers and distributors of the motion picture American Hustle. The film, set in 1978, is a ―21st century screwball farce about 20th century con men,‖ and uses the reality of a late 1970‘s FBI sting operation known as Abscam (which led to bribery convictions of a number of elected officials) as a ―taking off point.‖

Further statutory references are to the Code of Civil Procedure.

2 (Turan, Pros and cons – Crime caper shakes things up in style, Los Angeles Times (Dec. 13, 2013) (Turan review).)…