Spam spam spam lawsuit spam spam spam! Spamity spam!

[The Illusive Man]

Oh good job fucking up relations between the USA and UK asshole and your lawyer too!

The surviving members of the British comedy troupe Monty Python lost a High Court battle on Friday over tens of thousands of pounds in royalties from their hit Broadway musical “Spamalot”.

Mark Forstater, who helped produce the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on which the stage show was based, said he had not received his fair share of the profits from the spin-off.

Despite hearing evidence from three Pythons – Eric Idle, Michael Palin and Terry Jones – the judge, Justice Alastair Norris, sided with the producer.

“I have always been adamant I was correct. I have been proved right – justice has prevailed,” Forstater said.
Inspired by the film, the musical opened on Broadway in 2005 and has also enjoyed a successful run in Britain. Idle wrote the lyrics and collaborated on most of the music.

Forstater, an American based in Britain, argued that he was entitled to one-seventh of the profits from the “Holy Grail” film and any merchandise or spin-offs.

His lawyer told the court that for the purposes of profit-sharing, it had been agreed in 1974 that Forstater was “the seventh Python”.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE</a>

[Witchyjoshy]

...*twitch*

If you'll excuse me, I'll be in the angry dome.

[Dakota Bob]

What a poorly written article. Re-reading the article several times and I still didn't fully understand the issue. this guy "helped" produce the movie and says he was entitled to more money, and he got it because of a diary entry? I'm gonna need to look for more articles to actually understand the backstory to this.

[Cloud3514]

What it looks to me is that, while he worked on the movie, he didn't work on the broadway version. In other words, he just "proved" that he deserved to be paid for work he didn't do.

[wrightway]

To me it looks like he gets a cut of all Holy Grail profits, and Spamalot was considered a part of it.

[chitoryu12]

To me it looks like he gets a cut of all Holy Grail profits, and Spamalot was considered a part of it.

This is what I was thinking as well. What else can we find on the contract he signed? I highly doubt that any court would accept a vague diary entry about how "He's the seventh Python, you know" as damning evidence.

Also, what on Earth does this have to do with UK and US relations? This is hardly a political case.

[PosthumanHeresy]

Some things in life are bad. They can really make you mad. Other things just make you swear and curse. When you're chewing on life's gristle, don't grumble, give a whistle! And this'll help things turn out for the best. And always look on the bright side of life. Always look on the bright side of life.

[The Illusive Man]

Also, what on Earth does this have to do with UK and US relations? This is hardly a political case.

It’s this connotation:

Forstater, an American based in Britain, argued that he was entitled to one-seventh of the profits from the “Holy Grail” film and any merchandise or spin-offs.

Don’t try to steal credit for revered cultural works, it causes a lot of bad blood. Which can and probably will be used for political capital.

[chitoryu12]

Also, what on Earth does this have to do with UK and US relations? This is hardly a political case.

It’s this connotation:

Forstater, an American based in Britain, argued that he was entitled to one-seventh of the profits from the “Holy Grail” film and any merchandise or spin-offs.

Don’t try to steal credit for revered cultural works, it causes a lot of bad blood. Which can and probably will be used for political capital.

I seriously doubt that an American successfully getting a share of profit for a Monty Python production is going to cause an international incident.

[PosthumanHeresy]

Also, what on Earth does this have to do with UK and US relations? This is hardly a political case.

It’s this connotation:

Forstater, an American based in Britain, argued that he was entitled to one-seventh of the profits from the “Holy Grail” film and any merchandise or spin-offs.

Don’t try to steal credit for revered cultural works, it causes a lot of bad blood. Which can and probably will be used for political capital.

I seriously doubt that an American successfully getting a share of profit for a Monty Python production is going to cause an international incident.

I agree. Monty Python does not control world government (we only wish they did).

[RavynousHunter]

I could see it pissin 'em off, but not to the point where it'd harm international relations.  After all, what country can honestly say they have complete control over all their dipshit citizens?