Legal News

Cussler loses hat over "Sahara" flap

By Richard Binder

Best-selling author Clive Cussler has been ordered to pay $13.9 million in legal fees to Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz's film-production company, Crusader Entertainment, in the wake of Cussler's unsuccessful lawsuit over the movie adaptation of his 1992 book "Sahara," according to a news report.

Cussler had sought about $8.5 million from Crusader, alleging that the company violated an agreement to let the author approve the movie's screenplay.

Crusader counter-sued, claiming that Cussler had hurt the film's prospects by demanding script changes and criticizing the movie in public, the trade journal Variety reported. Crusader also claimed that it agreed to buy the rights to Cussler's book and another Dirk Pitt novel based on sales figures that turned out to be wildly exaggerated.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Shook ruled Monday that the contract between Cussler and Crusader called for an award of legal fees if either side breached the agreement, The Associated Press reported.

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Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on March 10, 2009 (boomark / email).