Wednesday 6 June 2012

Judge: 'Happy Days' cast may be owed DVD royalties

FILE - In this July 12, 2001 file photo, from left, actors Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, and Erin Moran, Williams, of the television show "Happy Days," pose after Ross received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 denied a motion by CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures to dismiss claims by several former "Happy Days" cast members that they are owed royalties on DVD sales of the hit comedy series. A trial is scheduled for July. The lawsuit was brought by cast members including Ross, Moran and Patricia Bosley, wife of Tom Bosley, who died of heart failure on Oct. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/E.J. Flynn, file)

FILE - In this July 12, 2001 file photo, from left, actors Tom Bosley, Marion Ross, and Erin Moran, Williams, of the television show "Happy Days," pose after Ross received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. A Los Angeles judge on Tuesday, June 5, 2012 denied a motion by CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures to dismiss claims by several former "Happy Days" cast members that they are owed royalties on DVD sales of the hit comedy series. A trial is scheduled for July. The lawsuit was brought by cast members including Ross, Moran and Patricia Bosley, wife of Tom Bosley, who died of heart failure on Oct. 19, 2010. (AP Photo/E.J. Flynn, file)

(AP) ? Several former cast members of the "Happy Days" can argue to a jury that they are owed royalties from DVD sales of the hit series, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White's ruling Tuesday clears the way for a trial on whether actors Anson Williams, Marion Ross, Don Most, Erin Moran and the widow of Tom Bosley may still be owed royalties on the use of their images in DVD packaging.

CBS Studios and Paramount Pictures sought to have their claims dismissed, arguing the group was properly paid.

A trial is scheduled for mid-July, but it won't feature series stars Henry Winkler and Ron Howard, who are not parties to the lawsuit.

The actors' group initially sued CBS for $10 million in April 2011, claiming they were cheated out of royalties from from the sale of products including gambling machines, T-shirts, board games, greeting cards and drinking glasses.

Attorney Jon Pfeiffer says the group has received payments for several other types of merchandise and the unpaid royalties from DVD sales are worth an estimated $320,000.

He said he learned after filing the case that Winkler and Howard had been paid for merchandise rights, but it was unclear how much.

Defense attorneys declined to comment.

Associated Press

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