Sandy Hackett Launches Lawsuit Against Former Partners at TRP Entertainment; Suit Filed by Howard E. King of King, Holmes, Paterno & Berliner
LOS ANGELES – (Business Wire) A copyright infringement battle is looming between Sandy Hackett and Dick Feeney, his former partner on "The Rat Pack is Back," which has been running for more than seven years in Las Vegas. Hackett has responded to being "terminated" from the show he created by filing a Federal Court action against former partner Feeney and their company, TRP Entertainment, LLC. Hackett's lawsuit alleges that Feeney seized Hackett's interest in the company after forcing him to resign and that Feeney, The Plaza Hotel and others continue to exploit Hackett's creation without permission.
Hackett's lawsuit, filed by attorney Howard E. King, describes him as the author of the play, originally called "The Tribute To Frank, Sammy, Joey & Dean," and that Hackett is the registered owner of the copyright for the manuscript of the production, the creator of the characters, and author of the dialogue created after his copyright registration and prior to filing his complaint.
King promises vindication of Sandy's rights: "Feeney cannot discard Sandy while keeping the fruits of his labors and creativity. The lawsuit seeks damages from all persons who deprived Sandy of his interest in the show and contributed to the copyright infringement committed by continuing Sandy's show without permission."
"My interest has always been to provide wonderful shows that celebrate the era when Frank, Dean, Sammy and Joey set the standard for musical entertainment in Vegas," Hackett says. "Most of all, I desire to create shows that honor my father and the wonderful friendships he shared with them for so many years."