Paramount Taken To Court Over Godfather Royalties

By Michael Todd
19:11, June 19th 2008
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Paramount Taken To Court Over Godfather Royalties

A lawsuit attacking Paramount Pictures was issued yesterday by Anthony Puzo, the son of "The Godfather" creator Mario Puzo, in his attempt to recover the royalties deserved for the 2006 video game which uses the book’s and the movie’s storyline and characters.


Mr. Puzo demands retributions of over $1 million plus interest and attorneys fees, as a result of what he claims to be a contract breach.


According to the court filing, Paramount, which is a unit of Viacom Inc. VIAB.N, signed an agreement with Mr. Mario Puzo back in 1992, which would entitle him to a significant share of the revenue of all audio-video products containing elements of the "Godfather" series.


The debate referred to whether the video game could be considered as a part of the audio-video elements included in the deal. Puzo’s lawyer, Mr. Bert Fields, explained that the issue is as clear as can be: "You hear them. You see them. That's audiovisual to me," he said, according to the Los Angeles Times.


Apparently, at the time of the deal, Puzo was a young, unknown, struggling actor and Paramount took advantage of his situation, paying an extremely low price for the film rights and other related uses of the material.


The writer died in 1999 and his family now handles all such matters.


The movie released in 1972, directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, won three Oscars for Best Actor, Best Picture and Best Screenplay and was nominated for another seven, including Best Director, Best Original Dramatic Score and Best Actor in a Supporting Role. The immense success led to the production of two sequels, each with a significant market impact. 


So far, Paramount’s representatives refused to comment on the accusations.



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