CBS has regained temporary distribution rights for 'Wheel of Fortune' and 'Jeopardy!' after a California appeals court reversed an earlier ruling that granted Sony Pictures Television control. This ruling halts Sony's efforts to take over the lucrative sales and syndication responsibilities. CBS has held these rights since the mid-1980s, stemming from a perpetual agreement made by Merv Griffin with King World Productions, now part of CBS. The reversal pauses an injunction that would have shifted rights to Sony, which owns the intellectual property of both shows.
Sony alleges that CBS breached their distribution agreement by entering into unauthorized licensing deals for "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!", then paying itself commissions on those deals without proper disclosure.
A California state appeals court issued a temporary reprieve for CBS on Wednesday, halting Sony's attempt to wrest control of the lucrative sales and syndication rights for two of television's most popular game shows.
The reversal pauses the enforcement of an April 10 preliminary injunction that had shifted those responsibilities to Sony, restoring CBS's distribution rights temporarily.
Since then, CBS has held distribution and sales responsibilities while Sony retained production control, keeping both shows as fixtures in early evening television for decades.
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