Disney Loses $319 Million Appeal In ‘Who Wants To Be A Millionaire’ Case


Disney has reportedly lost its bid for an appeal that would reverse the $319 million awarded to the creators of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, according to Yahoo! News.

Since the Walt Disney Company was none too pleased with the ruling over two years ago, the company decided to appeal the decision. Unfortunately for executives, it would seem that the creators of the aforementioned game show will get to keep all of the money they received as a result of the case.

ABC, Buena Vista Television, and Valleycrest Productions were hoping another judge would approach the case from a different perspective. Although Disney complained that the US District Court in Central California was guilty of “committed evidentiary, instructional, and other errors,” the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges didn’t see things the same way.

Softpedia reports that the drama between Disney and the creators of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire started in 2004 after Celador International Inc. claimed Disney and its affiliates embarked on a number of shady deals that robbed the show’s masterminds of a substantial amount of money.

Roughly six years later, a judge decided that Disney was in the wrong. As a result of the judgment, Celador International Inc. awarded creators $269 million dollars. Additionally, the company was given $50 million in interest. Disney executives were clearly unhappy with the decision.

The Walt Disney company attempted to appeal the $319 million award back in 2010. However, they lost that bid to reverse the jury’s decision as well.

“We are extremely disappointed with the decision, as ABC and Buena Vista Television continue to believe that they fully adhered to the Millionaire agreement,” a Disney spokesperson explained to The Hollywood Reporter.

Celador International Inc. obviously feels a little differently than the defendant.

“What the court of appeal did today validates what a careful and thoughtful trial judge and a quite attentive jury did two years ago,” the company’s lawyer explained. “We’re pleased for the client.”

Do you think Disney should have won its $319 million appeal in the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire case?

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