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Paramount & Puzo Estate Settle ‘Godfather’ Suit

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday December 21, 2012 @ 1:12pm PSTTags: Bert Fields, Mario Puzo, Paramount, The Godfather

The war is over. Paramount Pictures and the estate of The Godfather author Mario Puzo have reached a settlement in their legal battle over new books and movies based on the Mafia classic. On Thursday, lawyers for both sides submitted a brief joint stipulation (read it here) to the U.S. District Court in New York asking for all claims to be dismissed. “This stipulation of dismissal with prejudice is pursuant to a settlement agreement among Paramount and Puzo and is not an adjudication on the merits of the claims or defenses of either party,” the stipulation said. No details of the settlement were made public.

This week’s deal comes after Judge Alison Nathan ruled on September 26 that Paramount, which released the original Godfather film in 1972 and its subsequent sequels, can make more movies about the Corleone clan if it still wants to. This legal war started in February when Paramount sued the Puzo estate to stop the publication of an “unauthorized” third Godfather sequel/prequel. In its suit, the studio claimed the book blemished the legacy of the films. In March, the estate countersued, claiming that the contract between Puzo and Paramount distinctly excluded book rights. The countersuit claimed that Paramount is in material breach of its contract with Mario Puzo. The two sides reached an agreement in May to allow the publication of new The Family Corleone book while the case went on. Richard Kendall and Nicholas Daum of LA firm Kendall Brill & Klieger represented Paramount in the joint stipulation. The Puzo estate is represented by Bert Fields of Los Angeles’ Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger.

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Paramount Handed Victory For Future ‘Godfather’ Films By Court; Puzo Estate’s Breach Of Contract Claim Still Alive

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday September 28, 2012 @ 7:36am PDTTags: Hollywood lawsuits, Mario Puzo, Paramount, The Godfather

The contract that the studio made with author Mario Puzo over The Godfather movies can’t be torn up by his estate, a New York judge ruled (read it here) Wednesday. That means Paramount, who released the original … Read More »

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‘Godfather’ Prequel Deal Made: Paramount And Puzo Estate Tell NYC Court Today

By DOMINIC PATTEN | Friday May 11, 2012 @ 7:39pm PDTTags: Mario Puzo, Paramount, The Family Corleone, The Godfather

Paramount and the estate of Mario Puzo announced in a NYC court today that they’ve made a deal to allow a new Godfather prequel. Its profits will be put in escrow while they fight over who owns the publishing … Read More »

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‘The Godfather’ Author Mario Puzo’s Lawyer Ready To Go To Mattresses Over Ownership Of Mob Classic

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday March 13, 2012 @ 3:08pm PDTTags: Lawsuit, Mario Puzo, Paramount Pictures, The Godfather
Mike Fleming

The Godfather Lawsuit Mario Puzo

UPDATE: Paramount has responded to the charges leveled by the estate of The Godfather author Mario Puzo. Said a spokesperson: “Paramount has tremendous respect and admiration for Mario Puzo and his legacy. We are … Read More »

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Paramount Sues Over New ‘Godfather’ Novel From Mario Puzo’s Estate

By THE DEADLINE TEAM | Tuesday February 21, 2012 @ 2:23pm PSTTags: Mario Puzo, Paramount, The Family Corleone, The Godfather

Paramount says the son of The Godfather author Mario Puzo is tarnishing the legacy of the studio’s films by attempting to publish a new sequel to the original novel. So it’s suing the Puzo estate in U.S. District Court in … Read More »

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