Hijacking accusations amidst Golden Globes lawsuit

LOS ANGELES – The owner of the Golden Globes has filed a juicy lawsuit against the production company behind the show, claiming it breached a contract and signed a secret deal to continue producing the telecast on U.S. network NBC for six years without the owner's consent.

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. filed suit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles against Dick Clark Prods., which has produced the venerable film and TV awards show for almost 20 years.

Also named in the suite are DCP parent Red Zone Capital, the private equity firm led by Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder.

The HFPA claims that DCP is acting as if it owns the rights to broadcast the show and that it "surreptitiously" entered into a deal with Globes network NBC to produce the show until 2018 without the HFPA's knowledge.

The HFPA is currently in the last year of its own 10-year deal with NBC and is jockeying for a new deal on more lucrative terms.

According to the complaint, DCP is taking the position that as long NBC continues to broadcast the Globes, DCP has an option to produce the show. But HFPA says that even if that's true, it's an option, not a necessity, and it has revoked that option.

"This is a brazen attempt by DCP not only to extend its television production and licensing rights beyond the terms of the parties' agreement, but to do so in perpetuity," the lawsuit claims.

It continues: "DCP contends that any unilateral agreement with NBC -- even one that involves licensing fees substantially below current market rates -- permits DCP to remain as HFPA's licensee and to usurp HFPA's control over the production and broadcast rights for future Golden Globe Awards shows. DCP is wrong. Its agreement with NBC has no force or effect because DCP has no broadcast rights to grant."

The HFPA also accuses DCP and Red Zone of commandeering Globes-related trademarks and other rights for its own benefit.

The DCP responded in a statement: "The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, knowing it has no case in a court of law, is attempting to try this case in the court of public opinion. We are confident the case has no merit in either venue."

DCP further goes on to say that both parties' "rights under the contract are clear" and that "the HFPA cannot unilaterally change the basis on which DCP and the HFPA have done business for almost three decades."

The suit seeks unspecified damages and an injunction against DCP from using the Globe trademarks for anything not related to January's Globes telecast.

NBC declined to comment.