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Eriq Gardner

@eriqgardner.bsky.social
1.6K followers 741 following 470 posts

Founding Partner and National Correspondent, Puck. I mostly write and speak about legal affairs. Northwestern U grad. L.A. Rams fan. Music obsessive. Signal: EriqG.99

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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
My latest looks at lawsuits descended from Queen Anne’s reign. The idea was to discourage gambling by letting even complete strangers sue to recover someone else’s losses—sometimes at a hefty multiple. Enter a litigation investor backing a campaign to collect. puck.news/how-a-300-ye...
puck.news
The Queen’s Polymarket Kryptonite
A 300-year-old statute still on the books in several states allows for anyone—not just the defeated—to claw back gambling losses. In the app era, the prospect of bounty-hunting a giant payout has seve...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The CNN/CBS "editorial independence board” could be a legal nightmare in the making. And guess what—the lawyers drafting the settlement appear to have realized the possibility. I explain... puck.news/is-cnns-edit...
puck.news
Is CNN’s ‘Editorial Board’ a Potential Legal Nightmare?
The settlement’s fine print envisions the possibility of future court action and two states already decided they want out.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Does Paramount support the decision by CNN, MSNow and Politico to challenge the Trump ban in court? Do they even stand behind CBS News’ own statement that “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting”? I asked. They wouldn’t comment.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
What Brendan Carr misses
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This story begins with a woman hanging upside down, naked, while a sadistic clown saws her in half. It’s about A.I., trust me. puck.news/synthetic-se...
puck.news
A Non-Exhaustive Guide to Dealmaking in the A.I. Era
California’s deepfake statute is being weaponized in unexpected ways—what cases over Terrifier and Avatar reveal about performer rights in the A.I. age.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Rams defense follows interception with ” jet lag” celebration
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
I spent my summer beach vacation flipping through 19,000+ pages of Murdoch family trust papers. How about you? puck.news/the-murdoch-...
puck.news
Why Rupert Really Screwed James
The newly unsealed transcripts from the Murdoch family trust battle reveal the resentments and infighting no screenwriter could invent.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
This new Erykah Badu album rips!
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I spoke with Kara Swisher about Warnermount, FCC v. Disney, A.I. copyright, Meta's social media addiction trial, Netflix libel battles, and more. open.spotify.com/episode/5z3Q...
open.spotify.com
Big Tech’s Litigation Era
On with Kara Swisher · Episode
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Hollywood’s newest copyright war: Advance discussion of the plot. puck.news/when-studios...
puck.news
The War on Spoilers Goes Nuclear
Warner Bros. recently sued fan site Cosmic Book News over an alleged Green Lantern leak. It’s still unclear if the law is on the I.P. owners’ side, but the legal process certainly is.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I already set the betting line puck.news/disney-is-re...
puck.news
Disney Is Ready to Clobber Brendan Carr
The F.C.C. chairman is forcing a showdown with Disney over its D.E.I. policies—seemingly a thin pretext for punishing ABC News. But Carr, usually a savvy operator, has an unusually weak hand.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
What if a character based on a real person begins as a villain but emerges as a hero? Should courts judge an allegedly defamatory movie or TV series scene by scene—or as a complete work?
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Some new thoughts on the P.R. trial over the Paramount-WBD merger, its impact on the real one, what the discovery stage will look like, and settlement clues. puck.news/is-paramount...
puck.news
The WarnerMount Legal Treasure Hunt
Paramount’s current P.R. blitz is trying to frame the antitrust challenge as political. Is that the best strategy, considering there will be no jury to convince in the upcoming trial?
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Interesting graphic from Bloomberg
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
What is there to say about the Paramount-Warner Bros merger that hasn’t already been said? Let’s start with a lawsuit against Amazon a couple weeks ago… puck.news/latest-warne...
puck.news
Life in WarnerMount Purgatory
A lawsuit over Amazon’s recent poaching of a Warner Bros. Discovery marketing executive has shed light on a much broader battle over who gets to control talent during Hollywood’s longest corporate wai...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
How about journalism?
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I’ll tease my latest with some trivia: Which NFL franchise tried to do an I.P.O., only to be stopped by the league? (Hint: not the Packers) puck.news/should-nfl-t...
puck.news
Should NFL Teams Be Allowed to I.P.O.?
For decades, the NFL barred public investment. Now that private equity is welcome, the Packers claim a disadvantage, and an antitrust question stirs again.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The legal challenge to the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger is just the beginning. California lawmakers and regulators like @robbonta.bsky.social have much grander plans. Let’s talk about them. puck.news/the-complete...
puck.news
The WarnerMount Case Is Just the Beginning…
As the WarnerMount merger battle plays out in court, California lawmakers are quietly advancing antitrust legislation that could reshape all of Hollywood.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Some analysis on Paramount’s deal to delay the WBD merger trial: What it’s trying to gain is better litigation posture, but the cost is HUGE. Is it worth it? I have doubts… puck.news/the-billion-...
puck.news
The Billion-Dollar Reason Paramount Delayed Its Closing
In defending the WarnerMount merger from the states’ antitrust challenge, Paramount is placing a premium on procedural position. But it is sacrificing time, and there’s a tremendous cost to that. Will...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Did Mark Cuban anticipate the sports industry’s new economics or was he outmaneuvered by them? puck.news/inside-mark-...
puck.news
Inside Mark Cuban’s Maverick War Against the Adelsons
Mark Cuban thought he was trading a stake in the Mavs for access to an even bigger prize: stadium-adjacent real estate development deal flow. A new legal filing suggests he may have gotten screwed out...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I would without a doubt choose the coin flip
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Killing of a Chinese Bookie archive.org/details/the....
archive.org
The Killing Of A Chinese Bookie (1976) : John Cassavetes : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive
Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
“The Odyssey” didn’t play the siren song, but we all know what it is. youtu.be/HDZ_YYnyULI?...
youtu.be
This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren (with lyrics)
YouTube video by saulomoon
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
A couple of new pieces from me: —Zuckerberg’s Unlikely Hollywood Lawyer puck.news/the-lawyer-f... —The WarnerMount Merger Standoff Is About to Get Interesting puck.news/the-warnermo... Also, for newsletter subscribers: Ari Emanuel goes to war against a bunch of hedge funds
puck.news
Zuckerberg’s Unlikely Hollywood Lawyer
Attorney Mathew Rosengart, who built his reputation fighting against “bullies,” is trying to help Facebook enforce an NDA he says is totally lawful. Who’s the bully there?
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Jon Gruden v. the NFL probably isn’t what you think it’s about… puck.news/how-grudens-...
puck.news
Gruden v. The NFL Takes a Dark Turn
The former coach’s $150 million lawsuit against the NFL has evolved into perhaps the strangest free speech battle in sports: Can the league deny leaking his emails while simultaneously claiming legal ...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
A couple other scoops in my latest newsletter. -The Supreme Court asked to review “Top Gun” case and settle copyright standards -TMZ’s Harvey Levin has reactivated his law license after three decades where he focused on gossip. puck.news/newsletter_c...
puck.news
What I’m Hearing: Ellison vs. Bonta Predictions & A Harvey Levin Mystery
Matthew Belloni Hello and welcome back to the Tuesday edition of What I’m Hearing, helmed by Eriq Gardner. One of the great benefits of having a legal expert like Eriq at Puck is that when a huge stor...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
I gathered my thoughts on the states’ challenge to the Paramount-WBD merger. Here’s my assessment of the lawsuit, what’s ahead, and the more subtle dynamics at play… puck.news/warnermount-...
puck.news
WarnerMount Is Already Teasing a Supreme Court Showdown
California A.G. Rob Bonta’s merger challenge relies on traditional antitrust theory—but the defense may push courts to rethink the rules of the game.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I usually ignore pro se complaints but this one made me laugh.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
The U.K.’s review of the Paramount-WBD merger has layers. Let me break down a situation that’s not quite obvious… puck.news/can-the-uk-b...
puck.news
Will the U.K. Try to Out-Bonta WarnerMount?
Paramount Skydance execs were left scrambling this weekend after comments from British culture secretary Lisa Nandy indicated that she was intervention-curious. But could the U.K. stop the WarnerMount...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
A bummer that the U.S. lost its World Cup match last night, but I’m still excited to watch the rest of the tournament. (Go Norway!) I will, however, not be attending. Way too expensive. About that… puck.news/fifas-ghost-...
puck.news
FIFA’s Eras Tour Moment
Fans who’ve strayed from the FIFA-sanctioned resale channels have seen their seats—and cash—disappear. Predictably, a new lawsuit is looking for remedy.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Thousands of Christian investors helped turn the story of Jesus into one of Hollywood’s most valuable religious franchises. Now the faithful who financed its miracle say they were squeezed out just before the biggest payday. My latest... puck.news/how-early-be...
puck.news
An Unholy Legal War Over ‘The Chosen’
Thousands of Christian investors helped turn ‘The Chosen’ into one of Hollywood’s most valuable religious franchises. Now the faithful who financed its miracle say they were squeezed out just before t...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
I'm looking at the New York Times story about Dianna Russini from a different angle—that being a highly unusual decision by a media company to publish information that would ordinarily remain behind H.R. walls. puck.news/inside-the-d...
puck.news
The Three Russini Lunch
The New York Times’s uncomfortable self-reporting into star journalist Dianna Russini’s affair with a source was more than just an extraordinary exposé. It may also create precedents that outlast the ...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
An exclusive: I got ahold of Jeffrey Kessler’s fee arrangement for the Live Nation case—which includes a “success fee” that will be lucrative… puck.news/how-ticketma...
puck.news
How Ticketmaster’s Legal Nemesis Will Make Millions
As states assume the lead on antitrust enforcement, a number of private attorneys are getting creative with success fees—including Jeffrey Kessler, whose firm bet tens of millions of dollars on his ab...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Here's my new piece about an old sports law that is causing a lot of misconceptions. Republicans, Democrats, everyone should be discussing this topic differently. Time for some hard truths. puck.news/the-nfls-ant...
puck.news
Five Hard Truths About NFL Inflation
As Congress tries to prevent streamers from taking NFL market share, they’ve increasingly homed in on the anachronistic Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, which includes the antitrust exemption that all...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Nailed it.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
How much human interaction with an algorithm is needed for a personalized feed to still count as constitutionally-protected “speech”? That question takes center stage at a court hearing. puck.news/ken-paxton-v...
puck.news
Netflix’s “Dark Patterns” & A New Legal Front in the Platform Wars
Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general running for Senate, is suing Netflix for being too appealing to kids. It might be a long shot, but the power of recommendation algorithms has never really been l...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
How does Jeffrey Kessler square his work breaking up Live Nation-Ticketmaster with his defense of Paramount-WBD? I spoke with him… puck.news/jeffrey-kess...
puck.news
Ellison’s Legal Gladiator Is Ready for War
Jeffrey Kessler, the legendary antitrust and entertainment industry litigator, goes on the record to explain why he’s defending the Paramount–Warner Bros. merger, how politics is impacting the opposit...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Disney's biggest advantage: Brendan Carr didn't do the homework. puck.news/disney-is-re...
puck.news
Disney Is Ready to Clobber Brendan Carr
The F.C.C. chairman is forcing a showdown with Disney over its D.E.I. policies—seemingly a thin pretext for punishing ABC News. But Carr, usually a savvy operator, has an unusually weak hand.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Tucked into the legislative plumbing of the bipartisan college sports bill is what amounts to a congressionally sanctioned media-rights experiment. puck.news/congress-tar...
puck.news
The Anti-Netflix Amendment
Tucked inside Congress’s latest college sports proposal is a provocative idea: Some games may simply be too important to disappear behind a paywall.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Starting to get the feeling that I’m not invited to Taylor and Travis’ wedding
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
🚨NEWS : Paramount Skydance has hired legal superstar Jeffrey Kessler to defend the Warner Bros. merger in court. Kessler, notably, is representing the states in the Live Nation case.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
A look at SAG-AFTRA’s “synthetic” deal And the most 2026 lawsuit you’ll read all year: a French talent agency for brainrot characters, a Roblox megahit, and a legal theory that tries to make trademark law do what copyright won’t. puck.news/sag-aftras-a...
puck.news
SAG-AFTRA’s Surprise A.I. Détente
News and notes on the union’s peace treaty with digital “actress” Tilly Norwood. Plus: The bizarre lawsuit over Tung Tung Tung Sahur, which may be the first major test of whether trademark law can do ...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Probably one of the best ledes I’ve ever written puck.news/french-open-...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Private equity and corporate middlemen have come for college sports. A look at the hottest dispute shaping its future. puck.news/nil-enforcem...
puck.news
The Private Equity End Zone
When the Supreme Court blew open the doors to college athletes getting paid, in June 2021, plenty of people pictured a financing model akin to Buddy Garrity peeling off bills for some blue-chip halfba...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Here’s some analysis from me on the unusual Baldoni/Lively settlement puck.news/yes-the-blak...
puck.news
Yes, the Blake-Baldoni Case Does Have a Winner
Lively’s lawyers say the ‘It Ends With Us’ settlement is just the preface to another battle to recover attorneys’ fees, treble damages, and potentially punitive awards, too.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
There’s about 5 stories in 1 here apple.news/A8vscZJhvREa...
apple.news
It started as a joke. Now India’s Diet Coke parties are all the rage as shortages hit shelves. — NBC News
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has choked the supply of aluminum cans in India and is taking Diet Coke down with it.
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Book authors (and all copyright owners) just scored a meaningful legal win. Their contributory infringement claims survived—significant because this is the first A.I. copyright ruling to grapple with the Supreme Court’s new Cox v. Sony decision. www.documentcloud.org/documents/28...
documentcloud.org
Nazemian\
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
My latest unveils the soon-to-be-tested legal theory that Trump may have to give up one of his favorite pastimes—bringing defamation suits. Also: why isn’t anyone talking about Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit? puck.news/if-trump-can...
puck.news
Trump Defamation Theories & Newsom’s Weak Case
California’s governor is fighting to highlight the president’s legal inanities with a ridiculous Fox lawsuit of his own. Meanwhile, the lawyer battling Melania offers a bold legal theory: If the presi...
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Who will be the next with a sliver of informational edge brought up on federal charges? Why prosecuting insider trading on prediction markets isn’t so straightforward. My latest. puck.news/is-insider-s...
puck.news
Is Insider Sports Betting a Federal Crime?
For the first time ever, the government has filed fraud charges over insider trading on a prediction market. Could athletes, coaches, and trainers be next?
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Eriq Gardner @eriqgardner.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Let’s talk Rebel Wilson. Beyond the backbiting and dark P.R. arts, a trial in Australia and a hearing in California offer a clean case study in how different legal systems handle false speech. Forum is fate. puck.news/why-rebel-wi...
puck.news
Rebel’s Yell: Anatomy of an Alleged Smear Campaign on Trial
The escalating dispute between director and star Rebel Wilson and the producers of The Deb has evolved into a cross-continental legal battle, featuring allegations of reputational harm via “smear site...
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