Thursday, July 8, 2010
LOS ANGELES |
Wed Jul 7, 2010 8:24pm EDT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A California jury on Wednesday awarded actor Don Johnson $23.2 million in profits he said he was owed by the company that produced his hit television cop drama "Nash Bridges."
In a lawsuit filed in February 2009, Johnson, 60, claimed he was a 50 percent owner of the program's copyright and, as a result, was entitled to his fair share of the profits. The producers argued the show was still running a deficit.Rysher Entertainment LLC, which made the program, said Johnson had already made about $40 million from fees as an actor and producer and was not owed any more money."I have waited for more than 10 years for Rysher to recognize me as the co-owner of the 'Nash Bridges' series. It was my idea and I owned the rights in the first place. From the beginning, I have asked only that Rysher honor our contract, and I am so pleased that the jury agreed with me," Johnson said in a statement."Nash Bridges" ran on U.S. TV from 1996-2001 and aired about 122 episodes. Johnson's attorneys claimed it generated more than $325 million in revenue, including some $150 million from worldwide syndication.Johnson's attorney, Mark Holscher of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, sai!
d the actor could make as much as $25 million more in the future as "Nash Bridges" still airs in some 45 countries around the world.The actor, whose biggest TV hit was 1980s-era show "Miami Vice," had sought as much as $105 million from Rysher, but a jury deducted costs for production, distribution and other expenses.(Editing by Jill Serjeant)
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