Video Industry Suits

The home-video rental business, in the doldrums since last Christmas, is finally picking up, retailers from all over the country are happily reporting. Many attribute the boom to "Ghost," the smash hit that has increased traffic in stores. Paramount shipped a record 642,000 copies when the title was released in late March. The release of other popular films, such as "Flatliners," "Pacific Heights," "Presumed Innocent" and "Marked for Death," has contributed to the recent rental surge.

Fred Astaire's widow lost a U.S. Supreme Court appeal, ending her lawsuit alleging the unauthorized use of her famous husband's image in a dance-instruction videotape. The justices, without comment, left intact a federal appeals court ruling that threw out Robyn Astaire's case against New York-based Best Film & Video Corp. Her appeal argued that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals should have sent the case, based on an interpretation of California law, to the state's Supreme Court.

Samsung Countersues Nintendo: Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Electronics America Inc. filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America seeking unspecified damages for public statements made last month by Nintendo officials regarding alleged counterfeiting of Nintendo's hit video game "Donkey Kong Country."

Samsung Countersues Nintendo: Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Electronics America Inc. filed a lawsuit against Nintendo of America seeking unspecified damages for public statements made last month by Nintendo officials regarding alleged counterfeiting of Nintendo's hit video game "Donkey Kong Country."

Fred Astaire's widow lost a U.S. Supreme Court appeal, ending her lawsuit alleging the unauthorized use of her famous husband's image in a dance-instruction videotape. The justices, without comment, left intact a federal appeals court ruling that threw out Robyn Astaire's case against New York-based Best Film & Video Corp. Her appeal argued that the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals should have sent the case, based on an interpretation of California law, to the state's Supreme Court.

The home-video rental business, in the doldrums since last Christmas, is finally picking up, retailers from all over the country are happily reporting. Many attribute the boom to "Ghost," the smash hit that has increased traffic in stores. Paramount shipped a record 642,000 copies when the title was released in late March. The release of other popular films, such as "Flatliners," "Pacific Heights," "Presumed Innocent" and "Marked for Death," has contributed to the recent rental surge.